China is counted among the most polluted countries in the world.China has been working tremendously in the field of its economy, but along with that, its pollution is increasing, and the air quality index is getting worse due to polluting industries. Around 16 cities in China have the worst air quality in the world.The economic growth along with China’s air pollution has been affecting the people and the nearby countries’ climatic conditions. The pollution in China, specifically Beijing, is contributing the most to the polluted air along with other factors like an increase in vehicle emissions, and growth in the population. Other factors include the season and the topography of the country. Their Gross Domestic Product saw a drastic change and growth. An increase in economic development led to an increase in pollution in China due to the building of many big industries. The economic growth of China led to an increase in the purchase of vehicles, with approximately 1,200 bought every day, and this has led to more than 3 million vehicles on the roads.Vehicle emissions alone create almost 70% of China’s air pollution. Harmful chemical particles such as nitrogen dioxide, Sulfur dioxide, PM10, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide emissions have led to many diseases. There have been changes made in the vehicle models, taking outdoor air pollution into consideration as they alone contribute the most to the air pollution. Next, the population growth has led to the environmental degradation that artificial standards of living have caused. In a time interval of seven years, the population of Beijing has increased to 16 million from 11 million.The ambient air pollution has been caused by coal factories, which leads to smog, making it difficult for people to breathe the air. Although factories have been set up, not all eco-friendly technology is used so that it helps to eradicate pollution from the environment. Not only Beijing but also Hebei and Harbin, the nearby cities, are affected by these factories. The geographical location of the place is also such that the pollution remains confined to the place, such as being surrounded by the mountain area. The seasons in which the air quality goes down to the worst level are summer and spring. This is because of the rise in the temperature, along with high humidity. The wind carries all the smog to the main city from the industrial areas on the outskirts of the city.The emission of harmful gases such as nitrogen oxide from the burning of coal stoves and other fossil fuels has led people to contribute, at their own individual level, to indoor pollution. Coal combustion has also led to sulfur dioxide in airborne particles. Flights are being redirected and many times, roads are closed. Irrespective of the above factors, there are many steps taken by the government to reduce air and water pollution, thus, creating Greenpeace China. Now there is more use of renewable energy or nuclear energy and coal consumption has been reduced to its par best level. Encourage the use of natural gas; establish a Green Finance Center to ensure that all processes of use, including financing, are green and environmentally friendly.The government is also giving its first priority to reducing the population along with pollution in every way possible. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development also contributed in their own way with a loan of $500 million to reduce air pollution in China. The Global Environmental Facility is helping out in its own way to reduce pollution by assisting in the creation of eco-friendly products.The World Bank is aiding the government of China by working with agencies such as Huaxia Bank, the National Energy Administration, and the National Development and Reform Commission. Huaxia Bank recently integrated access to green finance into its global corporate growth plan and developed novel funding products to meet the needs of the program, with the goal of emerging as one of China’s major banks within such a field. Through the completion of the project’s execution in 2022, the new green financial services facility is planned to have financed sustainable ventures worth nearly $21.2 billion.Air Quality Of ChinaThe air quality in China is deteriorating due to human activities, and the poor quality of the air is a result of this, which is also contributing to environmental degradation.The increase in the purchase of vehicles and the setting up of different industries in the outskirt areas have majorly impacted the air and water pollution in China. The geographical location of a few cities in China, such as Beijing, also makes it difficult for the government to eradicate environmental degradation.Beijing is surrounded by mountain areas due to the harmful air particles being entrapped in the area. The usage of coal stoves and other fossil fuels has led to an increase in the bad air quality index in China. During the winter, coal consumption increases, which naturally increases the sulfur dioxide particles in the air, making it more dangerous to breathe.Coal consumption is itself responsible for leading to almost 40% of China’s air pollution with PM 2.5 from indoor, as well as outdoor air pollution. Industries are also using coal combustion, while people are also using coal for burning. It is also reported that almost 0.5 million deaths in China are reported due to the harmful air particle PM 2.5, which is produced in the air due to the burning of coal in different places such as factories, homes, and other power plants.However, according to 2015 research studies, with the end of the winter or cold season, there was a significant decrease in the use of coal for burning. It was also found in the results of the study that PM 2.5 air particles were more prevalent in city areas like Beijing due to heavy coal burning, and with the end of winter, there was also a decrease in the usage of coal-burning or other fossil fuels to keep themselves warm in their respective houses.16 cities in China are among the worst polluted in the world, with the worst being during the winter season. Following China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Nepal, and more are also becoming the most polluted countries in the world. The smog and severe air quality in China is such a topic that no one goes unaffected because it is also affecting the nearby countries and their climatic conditions. China is known for ranking at the top of carbon dioxide emissions in the air.Pollution in China is leading to many deaths with almost 1 million annually. According to the studies conducted by Berkeley Earth, the 17% annual death rate in China is due to pollution and harmful particles such as PM 2.5 in the air. It is also believed that in the future, by 2030, the water pollution in China will reach another level, making it worse for the people to meet their daily requirements.The fact was stated by the government of China itself because they were trying their level best to take preventive measures to control air and water pollution. It might be shocking to know that China, having 7% of the earth’s water, is facing such a problem. Without a doubt, China has grown economically, but it lags behind in environmental planning, making it difficult for its people to live in the country.Causes Of Air Pollution In ChinaThe usage of vehicles, coal consumption, and fossil fuels, which are not at all eco-friendly, are major causes that are contributing to air pollution in China.In a few cases, such as Beijing, its geographical location has affected the air quality along with the humidity and temperature, which worsen during the summer and spring seasons. The harmful and non-bearable vehicle emissions are making it worse for local people to live in the city areas. It is also responsible for creating noise pollution, due to which people are suffering from many diseases, such as heart problems.In Beijing, the mountains from all sides cover the city, making it like a pit hole that later becomes a chamber of entrapped gases such as sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and PM 2.5 particles. The wind brings in the smog from the outskirt areas, where industries are more numerous. In winter, the case worsens when in every other house as people are burning fossil fuels to keep themselves warm from the cold climatic conditions.During the winter there is an increase in coal burning, and when it is not as cold, there is a decrease in coal burning. Mostly, the pollution caused in China is due to economic growth, because of which there is a sudden surge in the number of vehicles, which is naturally contributing to the killing of more people, almost one million a year, of which 17% is solely responsible for air pollution. Giving a rise to air pollution, vehicle emissions were up in the year 2005.Many preventive measures are being taken by the government of China with regard to air pollution. More usage of renewable energy resources, including vehicles, has been incorporated. Many vehicle production lines have been halted, and a greater emphasis is being placed on environmentally-friendly vehicles. Hebei, Tianjin, and Harbin, along with Beijing, are the most polluted cities with PM 2.5 particles of high concentration in 2014.This is beyond the standards set by the government of China and as per the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). As per estimations from the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning in 2015, PM 2.5 surpassed the city’s atmospheric permeability by 80%, sulfur dioxide by 50%, and nitrogen oxide by 70%. Bad air quality and an increase in air pollutants due to different factors have paved a path to the graveyard for many people suffering from multiple health problems for the above reasons.Although the government is trying to initiate and incorporate every eco-friendly step, and in this regard, it is also becoming successful, it also needs to take the population into consideration as this is another cause of harmful air pollutants in the atmosphere. The population in China also needs to be controlled so that fewer resources are used which contributes to air pollution. Chinese Solutions For Air PollutionChina is now focusing more on green financing, making use of renewable energy, switching to grasslands, and planting more trees to improve the air quality of China.With all the facts above, you must be aware that China is the world’s most polluted country with regard to its severe air quality. To fight back against the bad air quality, China has attempted to provide clean energy. It has made large investments with regard to environmental management.The dust storms in China have been a big problem in regard to soil erosion and dry land. China is experiencing bad weather, with a lot of smog and bad air pollutants in the atmosphere. China is making more use of green grass and trying to adopt a green atmospheric environment to improve the air quality.According to a report from 2017, an international team of researchers in both the countries, the United States of America and China, found the only solution to convert the deserted areas into green grasslands with the plantation of a greater number of trees. Dryland makes it worse for air pollution, while green vegetation increases good pollutants such as oxygen, which reduces air pollution.So, China focused more on grass as a revegetation process to provide clean energy. In China, almost 250,000 sq mi (647,497 sq km) of barren land has been converted into fertile land. This can be considered as China’s great achievement in reducing air pollution.The switchgrass helped China in two ways. The first was by providing good fertile soil; and second, as farmers got employed by selling the grass as fuel during the cold climatic conditions and harvesting it to grow during the farming seasons. Annually, China is investing almost $75 billion in cleaning up air pollutants. China’s 10-year plan, which ended in 2020, anticipated spending on sustainable power initiatives of $75-100 billion per year.Decarbonization, creating innovative greener sources of energy, along with increasing the number of electric cars on the streets, are all part of such initiatives. Between 1990 and 2010, China increased its green vegetation and forest area by 18%, up from 12%. Each year, China was able to increase the area by 1.6%. In the past 30 years, around 58.9 billion trees have been planted in China which has shown a drastic impact on air pollution and has lessened the smog in the atmosphere.What Is the effect of Chinese air pollution on the world?China is leading the world in the use of clean energy to improve air quality and climate change.Due to harmful atmospheric conditions and degrading environmental problems, China is known to be the most polluted country in the world. In this regard, the government of China has taken preventive measures to improve the air quality and provide a good atmosphere for its citizens. So, China is leading the world in providing clean energy.The usage of coal was banned in 2014 and the government insisted its citizens use renewable energy and clean energy resources. Coal sales and purchases were completely phased out of the market by the end of 2020. The usage of natural gas is inbuilt. This has led to a reduction in air pollution, and Beijing is able to see the blue skies.The air pollutants of China are known to cause atmospheric disturbances in the Western Hemisphere of the world. The air quality in the United States of America is being affected in the most drastic way. The wind currents carry the air pollutants, making it difficult for other parts of the world to cope. In 2018, through research done over a period of 13 years in the Western Hemisphere, the major cause known was the sandstorm.Sandstorms were solely responsible for quite a lot of the air pollution in the United States of America as well. This was specifically during the summer and spring seasons. In China, sandstorms have been frequently evident. Due to environmental degradation and soil erosion, the dry land in China constitutes almost 30% of the total region in the country.
China is counted among the most polluted countries in the world.
