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AIR POLLUTION IN BEIJING, CHINA

THE PROBLEM:

• Chinese smog is so bad it's like a 'nuclear winter' that's even stopping plants' photosynthesis:
• Pollution has grounded aircraft, closed roads and hit tourism in China
• The food supply could be affected as the smog blocks sunlight
• China Agricultural University showed that seedlings are struggling to grow
• The smog is having the same effect as that predicted from nuclear war.Yet China's naval chief claimed it has a plus side - defense from US lasers,Rear Admiral Zhang Zhao zhong said weapons' range cut from 10km to 1km
• Pollution in Beijing is now so dense that its effects are comparable to that of a nuclear winter, Chinese scientists have said.
• It has been predicted that if enough nuclear bombs were detonated, so many particles would be thrown into the air that the sun could be blocked out enough to alter the weather and damage the food supply.
• This process is now under way in China’s capital city and six northern provinces, according to He Dongxian from China Agricultural University’s College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering.
• THE CAUSE OF AIR POLLUTION
• Chinese media say that although some of the smog can be attributed to wintry weather conditions, the human contribution is one of the biggest factors.
• Tabloid the Global Times said China was risking serious long-term environmental damage, while the official People's Daily referred to the low visibility as a 'suffocating siege'.
• British expats in Beijing say although air pollution is 'nothing new' in the city, the most recent levels of smog have shocked even long-term residents.

 THE EFFECT OF AIR POLLUTION IN BEIJING CHINA :)

• The poor air quality, according to a leading Chinese public health expert, is worse than SARS because nobody can escape it. Research suggests that air pollution can “raise the risk of cardio-respiratory death by 2 to 3 percent for every increase of 10 micrograms per cubic meter of pollutants
• The thick haze served as a wake-up call for the government, which seems to become more transparent in discussing air pollution in China. 
• As public awareness of the problem grew, pressure on the government to address the underlying causes also increased. 
• To improve the air quality, the Beijing municipal government has taken some emergency measures, including temporarily shutting down more than 100 factories and ordering one-third of government vehicles off the streets. 
• However, given that coal burning in neighboring provinces and cities is a major contributor of the PM2.5 concentration in Beijing, the effectiveness of these steps has been limited. 

Moreover, while emissions from motor vehicles and coal-burning operations are responsible for the worsening air pollution in China, economic growth requires increased energy use

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