Pollution: air pollution

Question 1

Air pollution introduction

Answer 1

• Catalysts for the Chinese govt confronting this issue = the developing public health crisis & acknowledgement that failure to address its air quality problem will = serious economic implications.
• The CCP has already started to regulate, with the pace of regulation set to accelerate.

Question 2

Define air pollution

Answer 2

Air pollution refers to the concentration of harmful emissions in the environment.

Question 3

Air pollution in China’s cities

Answer 3

The World Bank reports that 16 / top 20 most polluted cities in the world are in China

Question 4

Name two reasons for air pollution

Answer 4

1. economic development
2. global trade

Question 5

How has economic development led to air pollution?

Answer 5

Over the past three decades, the rapid development of China has resulted in excessive emissions of greenhouse gases.

Question 6

How many cities in China exceed the air pollutant standard?

Answer 6

Among the 337 cities, 40%

Question 7

How much CO2 does China produce?

Answer 7

• currently the largest emitter
• producing twice the amount as the USA (27%)

Question 8

Where does China’s CO2 emissions come from?

Answer 8

• 50% come from industrial sector
• 40% come from power sector

Question 9

Cities in China attaining the national standard for air quality

Answer 9

• In 2016, only 84 /338 higher cities attained the national standard for air quality.
• However, by 2018, all those 338 cities enjoyed good air quality on 79% of days .

Question 10

How much has harmful particulates reduced over the years?

Answer 10

Fell from 40% from 2013 to 2020

Question 11

How much has sulphur dioxide emission reduced?

Answer 11

• emissions peaked in 2006 and declined by 10.4% in 2008

Question 12

What was the state council’s response after the record high air pollution?

Answer 12

• After record-high air pollution in Northern China 2012-13, the state council issued an Action Plan for the prevention and Control of Air Pollution in September 2013

Question 13

What was the goal of the state council’s goal in 2013?

(Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution)

Answer 13

• to reduce coal consumption by closing polluting mills, factories, and smelters
• & switching to other eco-friendly energy sources.

Question 14

What marked the establishment of a permit pollutant system in China?

Answer 14

• The Regulation on the Administration of Pollutant Discharge Permits came into effect in 2021
• it marked the establishment of a national pollutant discharge permit system in China.

Question 15

China’s national air quality targets for local govt

Answer 15

• the only air pollution law which mentions controlling greenhouse gases.
• Local governments will be held accountable to make plans to meet air quality targets and execute them.
• if air quality targets were not met after a certain period of time, local government leaders will be asked to explain and develop correction plans.

Question 16

When was the National Air Pollution Action Plan announced and what were the targets?

Answer 16

2013
* Coal
* Transport
* Industry

Question 17

Coal targets of the national air pollution action plan

Answer 17

• Reduction in coal’s contribution to energy mix from 68% –> 65%
• Elimination of all coal-fired power stations in Beijing
• Coal consumption caps in several major cities all by 2017

Question 18

Transport targets of the national air pollution action plan

Answer 18

• Cap in car volumes in key provinces.
• New, cleaner ‘Stage V’ vehicles introduced nationwide by 2017.

Question 19

What are the industry targets of the national air pollution action plan?

Answer 19

• Cut in cement and steel capacity in key production provinces.
• Tightened emission limits for high polluting industries.
• Expansion of environmental protection market.

Question 20

Factories being shutdown in China in 2013

Answer 20

• During 2013, several small-scale cement and steel factories with inefficient production facilities were closed down, consequently reducing overall capacity.

Question 21

Examples of factories being shutdown

Answer 21

Within Hebei, the largest steel producing region in China, the government has mandated a specific capacity reduction target, with 10% of this having already been achieved.

Question 22

Acid rain as a result of SO2

Answer 22

China now emits more SO2 than any other country, resulting in acid rain falling on more than a third of the nation.

Question 23

In 2004, how much did environmental degradation account for in GDP?

Answer 23

511.8 billion yuan (US$ 67.7 billion) or 3.05 % of GDP.

Question 24

Measures in Beijing

Answer 24

Pressure to create a suitable environment for both athletes and spectators forced the Chinese government to enforce probably the world’s biggest pollution control experiment, but it was only for the summer of 2008

Question 25

Short term measures in Beijing

Answer 25

• Removal of over 1m/3.3m vehicles from the roads for 3 months.
• Factories and construction bans within the city

Question 26

Long term measures in Beijing

Answer 26

• Expansion of public transport subway system
• Possible expansion of permanent restriction policies on number of license plates as in Shanghai
• Improved bike ways

Question 27

How has pollution improved in Beijing?

Answer 27

• The clearest skies Beijing has seen in 10 years
• Raised vehicle speeds 10% to 43 kph

Question 28

Firms which will be negatively impacted by efforts to curb pollution

Answer 28

• Coal producers
• Heavy industry
• old SOEs

Question 29

Why might coal producers be negatively impacted by efforts to curb pollution?

Answer 29

Growth rate of demand will fall.

Question 30

What are the consequences of air pollution?

Answer 30

• soil
• deaths
• loss in productivity

Question 31

What are the consequences of air pollution on soil/crops?

Answer 31

• rice-growing province, Hunan, has soil that is laced with heavy metals from factories.
• 20% of china’s soil is contaminated

Question 32

What consequences of air pollution on deaths?

Answer 32

• 750,000 Chinese die prematurely annually from air pollution-related respiratory diseases

Question 33

What are the consequences of air pollution on productivity?

Answer 33

In addition to higher mortality levels, air pollutants can lead to serious medical conditions such as chronic bronchitis, asthma and lung cancer. The cost of economic inactivity due to the treatment and recovery from these conditions is substantial.

Question 34

Effect of Covid on air pollution

Answer 34

Air pollution levels dropped in early 2020 due to quarantines as a result of the Corona Virus, specifically in Beijing

Question 35

Air pollution conclusion

Answer 35

• From a previous position of self-denial, the CCP now openly acknowledges it has a problem. It no longer seeks to suppress public discussion of the issue and, indeed,
• in major cities, throughout China, real-time measures of air pollution are readily available. - Public concern over the problem has been increasing steadily and the Chinese government has responded.
• An economically ambitious nation such as China has a compelling self-interest in radically improving air quality if its economic ascendancy is to continue

Question 36

How has coal mining impacted air pollution?

Answer 36

Burning coal has the worst health impact of any source of air pollution in China and caused 366,000 premature deaths in 2013, Chinese and American researchers said

Question 37

How important is coal to China?

Answer 37

• China consumes almost as much coal annually as all other countries combined, and coal burning in the country is the biggest source of both air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, the leading cause of climate change

Question 38

What do researchers says about China’s efforts with air pollution?

Answer 38

“Despite these air pollution reductions, the overall health burden is expected to increase by 2030 as the population ages and becomes more susceptible to diseases most closely linked to air pollution.”

Question 39

How many premature deaths have coal caused?

Answer 39

That study estimated the number of premature deaths in China in 2013 at 916,000, out of a population of 1.4 billion.