Written By Christina Ruiz
Image By Hung Chung Chih
Over the past few years, pollution has crept to the top of the discussion board. China, specifically Beijing, conjured up images of gray swampy air. At its worst air pollutant levels, Beijing issued its first ever “Red Alert”—a city shutdown that involved closing schools and limiting heavy outdoor activity.
In 2013, China was named the world’s deadliest country for outdoor air pollution, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). (1) To put that ranking into numbers, an average of 4,000 Chinese citizens died per day (that’s 1.6 million people a year) from air pollution. (2)
The publication of the WHO Ambient Air Pollution study results of China’s smog epidemic consequently lead to Chinese officials’ goal to lower coal consumption 30% by 2017. “We will try to basically realize zero coal use in six major districts and in Beijing’s southern plain areas this year,” major Cai Qi stated. The goal is to use less than 7 million ton of coal by 2017 (compared to the 22 million tonnes used in 2013). (3)
Cut to today, The State of Global Air, in collaboration with Health Effects Institute and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease Project, released their 2019 air pollution study reporting positive results in China’s aggressive combat against air pollution. From 2013-2017, China has shown a “54% reduction in sulfur dioxide concentrations and a 28% drop in carbon monoxide”(4). Hopefully China will continue yielding great results as it has issued a new 3-year plan to reduce coal consumption in more cities.
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