【新闻】Common People Are in Action to Control Smog

Hebei province in north China is one the ten most polluted areas in China. However, Meng Manman, 28, a resident in Shijiazhuang, says that the city used to be clean. Only in the recent two or three years, has the city's air quality plummeted. "Over the past two or three years, severe smog and haze suddenly emerged and people began to be concerned about air quality. The facial masks we wear also had to be upgraded from common ones to PM2.5-proof ones; they look like real gas masks." PM2.5 is the main substance of smog and remains the major air pollutant over the past year. Meng says the regular occurrence of heavy smog has impacted daily life in the city. Fewer people do morning exercise and more are suffering from lung diseases. Where did the pollutants come? Zhao Chuanfeng, a professor at Beijing Normal University's College of Global Change and Earth System Science, explains that vehicle exhaust and emissions from industrial plants are the main causes. In rural areas, coal burning also contributes to bad air quality. Zhao explains how to get rid of air pollutants PM2.5. "Wind can't erode smog and haze; it just blows it away. Only snow and rainfall can disperse the pollution to the ground. Wind blows smog from north China to the ocean, and then, the smog is dispersed by the ocean." However, People should not count on nature alone for smog control. Wang Xueqiu, director for Applied Geochemistry Division at the Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration, is a deputy to the ongoing National People's Congress session. "Enterprises must adopt clean production. For example, if you have to use a coal burning boiler, you must ensure dust elimination and sulfur removal is in place before emission. Certainly, it will be a burden to companies because of higher costs, but it is a company's social responsibility. Besides, governments should subsidize those enterprises that comply with clean burning regulations through price leverage." Meng Manman, the resident of Hebei Province, says she has seen some progress by the government and enterprises to reduce pollution. "I once worked at a factory producing food additives. At the time, the whole heating system was supported by coal burning and its emissions heavily polluted the air. But before I left the factory, some improvements have been made to the facilities, such as recycling the wasted gas and heat for daily use." Wang Xueqiu, the NPC Deputy, says coal burning is still the main cause of smog in Hebei. Through investigation, he found coal burning accounts for 51 percent of all air pollutants in Langfang, a heavily polluted city in the province. "China relies too much on thermal power generated by coal burning. So we should make full use of other energies. I continuously suggest building a nuclear plant in north China. Some people are worried that nuclear is not safe. Actually, it is. And the solid granitic structure here is suitable for setting up a nuclear plant." Fighting against smog needs the effort of the entire nation, from top leaders to common people, from enterprises to employees. Fu Ying, spokesperson of the ongoing NPC session, reiterates China's emphasis on this issue. "The Action Plan tackling air pollution promulgated by the State Council last September absorbed many suggestions from deputies and related commission, such as improving the quality of petrol, reducing the use of coal, strengthening air quality supervision and publishing statistics on time. This year, we will investigate the implementation of the Law on Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution and revise it, providing legal protection for smog control. The situation is serious, but now, we are in action." Meng Manman is glad to see so many optimistic changes around her. "I saw some statistics saying after the subway in Shijiazhuang is put into use, the emission of carbon, sulfide and nitrogen oxide will greatly drop, as it takes half of the transport load off the city. All local residents are happy with this. On the main streets and at the gate of our college, bicycles can be rented. This is a good way to publicize a green lifestyle. Some of my classmates also take part in related volunteer work." As efforts in smog control are contributed by more and more people, Wang Xueqiu, the NPC Deputy, is confident about the future. "The top leadership and common people have reached an agreement on smog control. People have a strong desire and the government is very determined to see smog eliminated. Second, technology is more advanced. So we won't follow the footprints of the developed countries. A century ago, we didn't have technologies to remove sulfur and nitre from emissions, which are the main causes of smog. Now, we must master such technologies, the only problem is their higher costs." Most developed countries have experienced such heavy air pollution. London, the city of fog, took three to four decades to reduce smog. How long will it take for China? Wang gives his answer. "Days ago, some journalists asked me the question. It took some western countries 30 years. I believe China won't need such a long time. We can manage it in about 15 years."