The rapid rate of industrialization today has caused the world to develop some environmental concerns. China, one of the most populated countries in the world, has had fast hand experience of these problems. Due to heavy machinery use and the nation being the world's leading source of environmental carbon-emission, health concerns have been reported and a number of threats documented. This essay is going to discuss the various aspects of environmental pollution such as the causes, effects, how big the problem is, and how these concerns have been addressed.
Air pollution is one of the critical environmental concerns in China. According to McBeath, author of Environmental Education in China, the causes of these problems can be attributed to activities that carried out in the nation. For instance, the author states that more enterprises centers on their own benefits and forget to protect the environment (McBeath 183). On top of that, there is a lack of sufficient public awareness of problems that can be observed in the environment. Unclear regulations and laws on the environment also contribute to this problem. Since all these is not done right, as the consumption rate keeps growing due to the extreme population growth, the environment continues to be polluted by constant industrial activities.
The effects of China's environmental pollution are felt in both living and non-living organisms. The air pollutants emitted from industrial processes harm both plants and animals in various ways. Some gasses emitted to the air e.g. chlorofluorocarbons, destroy the ozone layer which protects the earth from strong UV rays of the sun. As a result, the strong UV radiation causes cancer of the skin to human and destruction to plants (Russell Par.2). On the other hand, water pollution, which is caused by either acidic rain or emission of chemicals into water bodies, damages the environment as well. Acidic rain causes the soil to become acidic. Moreover, on dropping to the plants, it destroys the leaves as well as trees. When the changes in the chemical component are tampered with in water through acidic rain, Aquatic organisms die.
The air pollution problem in China is a very serious one and is recorded as the worst ever. By assessments, it is said to be the number one cause of mortality among the Chinese people. The concern has not just been recorded in a few cities but rather, concerns of particular dangerous chemicals such as sulfur Oxide are recorded in several cities (Ho & Nielsen 3). Even though the authorities have argued that they have taken measures to control the pollution in some areas, the rising rural to urban migration and rapid urbanization has made this difficult.
Despite the fact that the process of public policy-making has remained a challenge to the Chinese government, several measures have been put in place in an attempt to address this concern. Since the burning of coal is the main source of air pollution, energy conservation, and energy-efficiency improvements have been modified (GAO Par. 3). The government has also decided to develop cleaner coal technologies in order to purify gas and lower heat value. In addition to that, the government has also come up with new environmental tools and policies for pollution control (Huang Par. 4). These include tradable pollution rights, private-public relations and the introduction of Environmental Supervision Talks (EST)
However, if the government desires this themes and policies to work effectively, they need to be committed to bringing these changes. They as well need to create awareness to the general public on the harmful effects of environmental pollution. Strict rules and regulations should be imposed on industries concerning the degree of chemical emission in the air. If this is successfully done, then gradual changes might be seen.
Works Cited
GAO, Lin, Ham SHI, and Xinhai YANG. "Policies and Measures for Air Pollution Control in China." AUICK Newsletter No. 16. AUICK, n.d. Web. 4 May 2016.
Ho, Mun S, and Chris P. Nielsen. Clearing the Air: The Health and Economic Damages of Air Pollution in China. Cambridge: MIT, 2007. Print.
Huang, Yanzhong. "Is China Serious About Pollution Controls?" Council on Foreign Relations. N.p., 20 Nov. 2015. Web. 4 May 2016.
McBeath, Gerald A, and Jennifer H. McBeath. Environmental Education in China. N.p., 2014. Print.
Russell, Randy. "Air Pollution Affects Plants, Animals, and Environments." Windows to the Universe. N.p., 19 Jan. 2010. Web. 4 May 2016.
