Honghong Yi, Jiming Hao, Xiaolong Tang, Atmospheric Environmental Protection in China: Current Status, developmental Trend and Research Emphasis, 2006.
2.What two (or more) quotes capture the message of the article?
“ According to the Report on the State of the Environment in China (SEPA, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005), the national urban atmospheric average concentration of total suspended particles (TSP) decreased from 0.323 mg/ m3 in 1995 to 0.270 mg/m3 in 2000 while the average concentration of SO2 and NOx dropped from 0.091 and 0.048 mg/m3 in 1995 to 0.049 and 0.037 mg/m3 in 2000, respectively (Fig. 2). The percentage of cities exceeding Grade II of the CNAAQS decreased from 75.4% in 1991 to 61.4% in 2004, and the percentage exceeding Grade III improved from 53.8% to 20.2% .”
“The last 140 years were the warmest period during the past 1000 years, during which global average atmospheric temperature rose by about 0.61C and the content of greenhouse gases in atmosphere rapidly increased. During the last 100 years, the average surface temperature in China and mean sea level rose by 0.6–0.7 1C and 10–20 mm, respectively. Annual precipitation in northern China was reduced by about 10% in past 50 years. The economic losses caused by meteorological disasters were about 3–6% of GDP in China, which was the largest among countries throughout the world. ”
3.What is the main point of the article, and how is it supported?
1) The atmospheric environmental quality in China has been improved a lot according to reports on the State of the Environment in China. However, air quality is still a serious issue because of new problems caused by rapidsocioeconomic development and increased energy consumption in China. The development in economics has exacerbated environmental problems since 1980s. By the end of the last century, the explosion of economic growth made China the world’s second largest energy consumer after the US (He at al., 2002, China overtakes US in 2010 as the largest energy consumption country), which causes even more problems due to burning coal and fossil fuel. Furthermore, the article also addresses how acid rain and other air pollution may have potential impact on people’s health.
2)
The author provides a graph on how energy consumption in China has grown from 1980s.
Figure 1: Energy Consumption in China
The author indicates “The air pollution level in Beijing was remarkably reduced with the number of days reaching Grade II of the CNAAQS increasing from 15% in 1998 to 62.5% in 2004 for PM10. Furthermore, the mean annual concentration of SO2 in Beijing reached Grade II of the CNAAQS for the first time in 2004 (BJEPB, 1999, 2005). ”
The air quality issue in China is not optimistic, the SEPA statistic shows that in 2004, the percentage of cities that has good air quality, light pollution and heavy pollution was 38.6%, 41.2% and 20.2%.
World Bank Group estimated that China would pay 390 billion dollars for diseases caused by coal combustion pollution in 2020, which would be about 13% of GDP at that time (UNEPPA, 2000).
In 1999, China was the second for CO2 emission, and was the first place for CH4, N2O Sand dust, Black carbon and SO2 emission in the world.
The author states that the SO2 emission from coal plant is the major cause for SO2 emission, but in recent year (around 2003 to 2007), NOx emission from vehicles has increased sharply.
The fine particles are the new rising “popular” pollution in China since 1990s according to authors. Many indicators of health have a close relation- ship with the time of exposure to certain concentrations of fine particles. Therefore, the USA established the limit value of PM10 in EPA NAAQS in 1985. In China, we began to control TSP in the 1980s and its pollution level has declined. In 1996, the standards for PM10 were first established in a revised CNAAQS reflecting a change of control emphasis from TSP to PM10. However, the control of fine particles has only been recent and the time has been insufficient for thorough research of the fine particle production, their action mechanisms and the control technologies.
In order to improve the environmental issue, the government needs to control the total amount of the major industry pollution emissions, active control of the fine particle pollutants, enhance the energy use efficiency, control the vehicle exhaust and control the SO2 emission from the power plant.
4.What actors (individuals or organizations) are referred to? (Provide names and short descriptions.)
EPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the U.S. federal government which was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.
World Bank: The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs.
Reports on State of the environment in China: Reports regarding China’s environmental conditions throughout the year.
Economic Co-opera- tion and Development (OECD): Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) promotes policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems.
5.What kind of causation or responsibility is argued or implied in the article?
Due to the complexity and regional properties China has, the air quality control is particularly hard. The seriousness of air pollution is severe and the air pollution is under a developmental trend. Human health is the number one issue that Chinese government is facing, especially lung related diseases due to Particulates pollution. Last but not least, the strategic planning of atmospheric environmental protection is dependent upon the legislative, economic, political and technological decisions; the climate and topography; and the species and quality of the available energy sources. However, different departments of the government are not cooperative enough to perform integrated and extensive research.
6.How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?
As a result of the serious air pollution, the incidence and the mortally rate from respiratory disease are increasing more notable than before. Investigation showed that about 50% respiratory diseases were caused by air pollution. In the 11 largest cities in China, about 50,000 people died due to soot and fine particles from coal burning and other 400,000 people suffered the chronic bronchitis (UNDP, 2000). The number of people dying from lung cancer in areas with serious air pollution is 4.7–8.8 times higher than in non-polluted areas; in a northern city of China, the blood lead content of about 40% of the children exceeded the standard in 2000 (UNDP, 2002).
7.What three points, details or references from the article did you follow up on to advance your understanding of the issued and actors described in the article?
Now, coal particles are not the most concerned type of pollutant in China now, government focuses more on particular matters such as PM10 and PM2.5.
Acid rain due to SO2 and NOx emission will last its influence in south China (the most wealthiest part of China) for at least 2 years to significantly lower its effect.
China as one of world’s largest emission country should be more aware of the global climatic changes and collaborate with other countries on environmental protection.
8.How literature supports/opposes what you knew about 2008 Beijing Olympics?
The article argues that In order to improve the environmental issue, the government needs to control the total amount of the major industry pollution emissions, active control of the fine particle pollutants, enhance the energy use efficiency, control the vehicle exhaust and control the SO2 emission from the power plant. Several months before Beijing Olympic in 2008, the government shut down factories not just in Beijing but also in provinces near Beijing such as Hebei to reduce pollutant emission. In addition, the government also restricted vehicles numbers by their license plate number. All these rules did work out, the sky in Beijing during Olympic was as blue as all the Beijing citizens could imagine. It was even called “Olympic Blue” by some new reporters.
9.How literature could be useful in assessing air quality management during the 2008 Beijing Olympics?
The article provides specific guidelines on how to improve air quality practically. Beijing government did exactly what the article said. The government reduced the total amount of major industry pollution emissions, controlled the fine particle pollutants by shutting down factories; restricts vehicles by promulgating regulations to cut off NOx and CO2 emission; shuts down power plant to decrease SO2 emission and finally, hold conventions to improve energy structure and generation of sustainable consumption and production pattern.
- 1. Full citation and link.
Honghong Yi, Jiming Hao, Xiaolong Tang, Atmospheric Environmental Protection in China: Current Status, developmental Trend and Research Emphasis, 2006.- 3. What is the main point of the article, and how is it supported?
1)The atmospheric environmental quality in China has been improved a lot according to reports on the State of the Environment in China. However, air quality is still a serious issue because of new problems caused by rapidsocioeconomic development and increased energy consumption in China. The development in economics has exacerbated environmental problems since 1980s. By the end of the last century, the explosion of economic growth made China the world’s second largest energy consumer after the US (He at al., 2002, China overtakes US in 2010 as the largest energy consumption country), which causes even more problems due to burning coal and fossil fuel. Furthermore, the article also addresses how acid rain and other air pollution may have potential impact on people’s health.
2)
Figure 1: Energy Consumption in China
- 5. What kind of causation or responsibility is argued or implied in the article?
Due to the complexity and regional properties China has, the air quality control is particularly hard. The seriousness of air pollution is severe and the air pollution is under a developmental trend. Human health is the number one issue that Chinese government is facing, especially lung related diseases due to Particulates pollution. Last but not least, the strategic planning of atmospheric environmental protection is dependent upon the legislative, economic, political and technological decisions; the climate and topography; and the species and quality of the available energy sources. However, different departments of the government are not cooperative enough to perform integrated and extensive research.- 6. How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?
As a result of the serious air pollution, the incidence and the mortally rate from respiratory disease are increasing more notable than before. Investigation showed that about 50% respiratory diseases were caused by air pollution. In the 11 largest cities in China, about 50,000 people died due to soot and fine particles from coal burning and other 400,000 people suffered the chronic bronchitis (UNDP, 2000). The number of people dying from lung cancer in areas with serious air pollution is 4.7–8.8 times higher than in non-polluted areas; in a northern city of China, the blood lead content of about 40% of the children exceeded the standard in 2000 (UNDP, 2002).- 8. How literature supports/opposes what you knew about 2008 Beijing Olympics?
The article argues that In order to improve the environmental issue, the government needs to control the total amount of the major industry pollution emissions, active control of the fine particle pollutants, enhance the energy use efficiency, control the vehicle exhaust and control the SO2 emission from the power plant. Several months before Beijing Olympic in 2008, the government shut down factories not just in Beijing but also in provinces near Beijing such as Hebei to reduce pollutant emission. In addition, the government also restricted vehicles numbers by their license plate number. All these rules did work out, the sky in Beijing during Olympic was as blue as all the Beijing citizens could imagine. It was even called “Olympic Blue” by some new reporters.- 9. How literature could be useful in assessing air quality management during the 2008 Beijing Olympics?
The article provides specific guidelines on how to improve air quality practically. Beijing government did exactly what the article said. The government reduced the total amount of major industry pollution emissions, controlled the fine particle pollutants by shutting down factories; restricts vehicles by promulgating regulations to cut off NOx and CO2 emission; shuts down power plant to decrease SO2 emission and finally, hold conventions to improve energy structure and generation of sustainable consumption and production pattern.