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China's pollution problem


urban addict 20324

Do you think China is the world's most polluted country?  

29 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you think China is the world's most polluted country?

    • Yes
      19
    • No
      5
    • Not sure
      5


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Due in part to logging, ignorance of the environment, job demands in factories, and other reasons, China is rapidly becoming the world's largest polluter and the region that is suffering greatly from this is Eastern China, where 1.2 billion people live. Many of its old-growth forests and ecological treasures have been destroyed for development. Massive clear-cutting of forests has led to erosion in the mountains, clouding up previously clear streams. Overgrazing of grasslands has degraded the soil, leading to sand and dust storms in summer. Many small and major factories continue to spew choking fumes into the atomosphere and dump their waste into rivers. China's huge population means a lot of garbage and the system to handle it is straining to dispose all of that rubbish, so some of it goes into the rivers. Lack of water treatment plants mean that raw sewage goes into rivers and lakes, contributing to the already dangerous water pollution levels. China is also straining to supply power to everyone, but their coal-fired plants blacken the sky. The Bo Hai and East China Sea coastlines are very polluted; the rivers dump their polluted water into the sea, poisoning the coastlines and killing marine life. In addition, many of China's inland lakes are dead as they were used as a dumping ground. Although steps are being to lower the amount of pollution, it's a long way from being done. China's ignorance of the environment has led to this mess and it will give rise to many other problems also (like health) if untreated. :blink::o:sick: What can they do? :ph34r::huh::unsure::wacko: The sky is no longer blue and the sun rarely shines clearly through in some major cities. Instead, there's brownish haze all over and a dimmish sun, its light decreased by the smog.

ev3850_S1999324040624_md.jpgpollution.jpgpollution.large.jpg

Would you want to live there? Go on google and search 'China Pollution' for more info.

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Oh, thanks! Since the winds on Earth usually travel from west to east, the pollution often blows into the Pacific Ocean and into countries east of China, like Taiwan, Japan, N and S Korea. These countries are suffering also from the pollution that's carried here and have complained to China before to try to stop this.

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  • 3 months later...

I have lived in Beijing for a couple of years now and over that period I have noticed a general improvement in the air quality in the city. However, this spring has been hideous. Every day the sky is grey or yellow and I constantly feel the grit in my teeth and eyes. When the wind blows from the north it tends to clear the pollution out of the basin, but unfortunately there are so many construction sites that strong winds create ground level mini-dust storms all over the city. You get used to it after a while (although I have heard long-time Beijingers complaining about the filth this spring) but I am always reminded of how "clean" air can actually be when I go back to North American cities.

The other day we had carpet cleaners come into the office after work hours. I'm not sure what it was they used to clean the carpets, but the stench of dog "business" filled the place the next morning (the building we have offices in also regularly sprays for bugs during office hours without any concern for human safety and I have been regularly assured that since I am much bigger than the bugs the spray is intended to kill I am in no immediate danger). The sky outside that day was a sickly yellow and it was impossible to see across the street, so opening the window was not an option. My colleagues and I had to resort to wearing left over SARS masks for the day.

To the poster who said that it will be impossible to clean Beijing up by 2008, I heartily agree. However, athletes have survived LA and Mexico City.

All that being said, I have grown to love this city. It may be filthy and confusing and at times incredibly frustrating but it has a charm and a pulse and a passion for life that I have never experienced anywhere else.

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  • 3 months later...

I have lived in Beijing for a couple of years now and over that period I have noticed a general improvement in the air quality in the city. However, this spring has been hideous. Every day the sky is grey or yellow and I constantly feel the grit in my teeth and eyes. When the wind blows from the north it tends to clear the pollution out of the basin, but unfortunately there are so many construction sites that strong winds create ground level mini-dust storms all over the city. You get used to it after a while (although I have heard long-time Beijingers complaining about the filth this spring) but I am always reminded of how "clean" air can actually be when I go back to North American cities.

The other day we had carpet cleaners come into the office after work hours. I'm not sure what it was they used to clean the carpets, but the stench of dog "business" filled the place the next morning (the building we have offices in also regularly sprays for bugs during office hours without any concern for human safety and I have been regularly assured that since I am much bigger than the bugs the spray is intended to kill I am in no immediate danger). The sky outside that day was a sickly yellow and it was impossible to see across the street, so opening the window was not an option. My colleagues and I had to resort to wearing left over SARS masks for the day.

To the poster who said that it will be impossible to clean Beijing up by 2008, I heartily agree. However, athletes have survived LA and Mexico City.

All that being said, I have grown to love this city. It may be filthy and confusing and at times incredibly frustrating but it has a charm and a pulse and a passion for life that I have never experienced anywhere else.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was in Beijing in May for 5 days, and it left me with mixed feelings. Each city I visited in Asia had a completely different flavor and culture: Japan being more friendly and much more subdued, Korea being much more Americanized (but had hte best traditional dancers), and Hong Kong having a true international feel. Beijing was different.

The people I visited with in Beijing were very friendly and were not ashamed of anything. They were quite proud of their city.

As it is, I don't see Beijing as a world class city (then again, I've only been there for 5 days), but I certainly see it as a city booming with opportunity. The chinese are friendly (although more stand offish than the Japanese or Koreans) and I'm glad they have the opportunity to show off their city in 2008.

In regards to the pollution: I've never seen smog so thick before. You can feel the pollution burning your eyes and making your voice hoarse. The hot weather and traffic noise and smog and dust everywhere makes one feel, well, dirty.

But it was great riding in taxis all over the city for about $2 and getting a delicious, filling meal for less than that. (And sitting back near a lake and drinking $1.50 beers-expensive for China, cheap for Americans..)

I'll definitely go back.. if not for the culture, for hte food! :)

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  • 4 months later...

Interestingly, soil and sand with a Mongolian origin have been collected in various places around North America. Clearly, material is making it over here from there. If dirt and sand can get carried, rest assured that other forms of pollution are making their way here too.

National Geographic also showcased the pollution problem (maybe those pics came from that article?) and discussed the seriuos health problems that it is causing in the people living in some of these areas.

With everything now being "Made in China", it's no surprise; it must be like one big, country-sized factory!! This can't be without consequences. China is going through their industrial revolution like Europe and the U.S. did, but now we're more aware of the issues with this. Just my opinion, but I do not believe we will be able to convince the Chinese to change while they are riding this wave of prosperity. This question is, just how far will it go, and what damage will be done to the Chinese population as well as the rest of the world as a result?

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  • 1 month later...
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  • 3 months later...

Glad to have found a site like this, very happy to meet all of you here :D

I'd like to have some of my views as the pollution matters in China.

Beijing is certainly not a pleasant city to visit in terms of enviromental issues, it is one of the worst, if not THE worst enviromental problem pruned in all Chinese cities. That said, it is still the MOST popular tourist city in China due to historical reasons. The air in Beijing is polluted due to industrialisation, the outpost of the city is becoming more desert. Chinese goverment has long taken some measures to tuckle the desertisation however, few progresses have yet been made, mainly because, IMHO, that the root of desertisation is very strong in the above Mongolian area. I persoanlly disapprove the weather and the enviroment in Beijing. :cry:

Things they have done to try to impove, for examples, are:

1. Plantation (of course)

2. Set emission limits to cars (some European standard)

3. Use clean-energy buses (electric? can't remember)

And we'll see how these measures work out.

Yet the blowing of sands and polluted air may not be such a problem when the Olympics is scheduled. In August, the conditions in Beijing is far more better than that of Spring April and May seasons.

Overwhelmed with pollution problems reported by the media, China in fact has a lot of very clean and clear cities (mostly costal), I will try to post some pics of them later. -_-

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  • 6 months later...

China Working Thru Environmental Issues Now

Recently scientists have been watching the exponential growth of marine life dead zones off the coasts of human civilizations. In China there are dead zones now, which are over 250 kilometers in radius off the coasts of Shanghai and Beijing. Environmental biologists have brought this to the attention of the World and China has decided to take serious action indeed.

China

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The pollution was not too bad when I was there in the fall of 2004 compared to that of the fall of 1999. Then again that is partially due to the fact that since the Summer Olympic Games are slated to take place in 2008 the government has forced the closure of a lot of factories from the inner areas of Beijing, which in turn only ended up moving further to the outskirts (plus it was raining more the second time around keeping the dust at bay). Out of sight out of mind. <_<

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This can't be without consequences. China is going through their industrial revolution like Europe and the U.S. did, but now we're more aware of the issues with this. Just my opinion, but I do not believe we will be able to convince the Chinese to change while they are riding this wave of prosperity. This question is, just how far will it go, and what damage will be done to the Chinese population as well as the rest of the world as a result?
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MMMM.. that clean Beijing air:

post-5218-1165470960_thumb.jpg

Caused by this:

post-5218-1165471150_thumb.jpg

They are currently adding a 7th or 8th ring freeway onto the city to accomodate for the growth and for the olympics.

And, you're right. There was no toilet paper in the hotel we stayed at. It was a university hotel, thus owned by the state. Funny, I never would have remembered that.. there was a lot of despair for unprepared travellers. (I didn't know what i was getting myself into, so I brought toilet seat covers and toilet paper travel packs with).

post-5218-1165470960_thumb.jpg

post-5218-1165471150_thumb.jpg

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