Air Pollution In Beijing Case Study

The Air Pollution in Beijing

Introduction

As China has industrialised, it has brought various environmental challenges into people’s life. The biggest one being air pollution, which has led to Beijing being addressed as the pollution capital of the world.

Air pollution has become a very huge problem in China. It poses an undeniable threat to the Chinese public health.

Coal combustion creates particulate matter which is more popularly known as "PM". Right now Beijing is dealing with a PM2.5, which means the particulate matter is around diameter of 2.5 micrometers. Such fine particles can cause a variety of respiratory diseases like bronchitis, asthma, and lead to chronic respiratory symptoms like shortness of breath, painful breathing.

• Cancer is China’s leading cause of death, and only air pollution has made it possible.

• Air pollution kills hundreds of thousands of people every years.

• 500 million people in China don’t get to drink safe, healthy drinking water

• According to the European Union, only 1% of 560 million people breathe safe air. The rest is covered in a grey shroud. During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing was "frantically searching for a magic formula, a meteorological deus ex machina, to clear its skies for the 2008 Olympics."

• The cause of death of many children is lead poisoning.

• The pollution has spread internationally: sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides fall as acid rain on South Korea, Seoul and Tokyo. The pollution reaches as far as LA.

• 300,000 people die each year from major air pollution, mostly of various heart diseases and lung cancer.

• Annual premature deaths which occur due to outdoor air pollution were around 380,000 in 2010 and 550,000 in 2020, which are shocking

To narrate the main problem of air pollution in Beijing by describing the harmful effects it has on the population of the city.

To address the government’s response to the air pollution since 2012, it’s implementation and the effect it has/has not brought in.

To understand the point of view of the public and their problems.

To find out new strategies that were proven to be helpful and describe it’s implementation for a pollution free Beijing.

To conclude with the various laws and efforts taken in this direction by both the authorities and the concerned citizens of Beijing and comment on its effectiveness

Literature Review

The scene could be straight from a science-fiction film: a vision of everyday life, but with one jarring difference that makes you realise you’re on another planet, or in a distant future era.

A sports class is in full swing on the outskirts of Beijing. Herds of children charge after a football on an artificial pitch, criss-crossed with colourful markings and illuminated in high definition by the glare of bright white floodlights. It all seems normal enough – except for the fact that this familiar playground scene is taking place beneath a gigantic inflatable