Recently, the frequency of smog-day seems
like increasing. People ask each other, pointing the smog which is surrounded
us in a little bit far distance, what it looks like? Just a fog, or a smog? I wish
it were a fog. Also, I heard the news that winter air pollution made an
emergency in my home town, Seoul. When I searched the “air pollution” in The Economist, I could easily find the
interesting article of air pollution in Beijing: ”Blackest day”
In this arricle, T.P. says that Beijing suffered
a day of extremely bad air pollution which could feel directly without how the readings
of Air Quality Index (AQI) and the readings of the smallest and most dangerous
sort of particulate matter, PM 2.5, indicated dangerous levels, after similar
happening of last year, even though the authority had started the plan to
improve air quality(2013). He argues that Beijing has to hurry to improve the air quality
in right direction with hope.
This article reminds me of a memory of
traveling of Beijing before the Beijing Olympic. At that time, all Beijing was
busy to prepare the Olympic. They were building some skyscrapers, bridges, and
roads. I could smell the industrial energy through the polluted air. At least,
it regarded as an evidence of developing. I had expected the scene of the swarm
of bicycles which usually was pictured on newspaper as a dynamic and diligent industrial
worker’s example in China before traveling. However, the bicycles turned to the
motorcycles which expelled exhaust fumes. I’m sorry that the development came
to produce the pollution which is very menacing to the health of people. It
seems like a fate of a modern city to be developed and industrialized.
People have being turned the limited resources
in the earth into products and pollutions. We want to have more products
without occurring of the pollutions. So, many researchers research on the
renewable energy: biomass, geothermal, solar energy, tidal power, wind power,
etc. These things might be one of right kinds of directions to solve the air pollution
problems, if we want to hold the developed civilization.
After waking up in the morning, I usually open the
windows to let some fresh air in. Most times I feel the freshness of the
outside air, but sometimes, some polluted air comes in with bad smell. I’m
afraid that, in the future, we’ll have to buy fresh air in a bottle to breathe. Actually,
in the past, nobody expected to buy mineral water in a bottle to drink. I only
want to breathe with decent air.
__________
Reference
Katie,
ReplyDeleteIf it's only a glimmer of hope, I think Beijing might be going through a phase that will pass. When I first came to live in Bangkok, the pollution was much worse than it is today - I'm sure it is has improved in Bangkok, even though there is plenty of room for more improvement. I also remember Taipei, where I lived for a year - I thought Bangkok was bad, but when I arrived in Taipei, the air pollution was horrific, with streets disappearing into the same murky filth that we now see in the photos coming out of China. I haven't been back to check, but believe that Taipei, too, is now much improved on what it was.
Air pollution is one main problem which all metropolis around the world are facing. However, I think that this problem will be handled soon. It is an effect of a solution process. Problems in each period of human history are different and when we solve one problem, there will be another problem occurring. For example, in term of energy, a stream engine train was invented for long distance replacing a horse which was restricted by its health, food and time. The stream engine used up logs. This was a new problem. Then, we solved this by change it to benzine engine. Nevertheless, this engine emitted polluted gases and it was slow comparing to advanced technology. Thus, we changed it to a bullet train supplied its engine by electricity. It seemed to be a happy ending scene, but a following problem is where we get clean energy to serve it enough.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of air pollution in a big city, it is the effect of crowded society, gas emission in transportation and industrial activities. All of these used to solve some problem before. For instance, crowded society allowed more people live in a big city which medical care was better than in the country. Transportation made logistic better. It let us to travel further and more convenient. Industrial activities gave us more work positions in various fields.
I believe that, no matter how long it will take, we can solve or, in the worst case, relieve problems. We will face new problems to solve throughout our human civilization.
In my opinion, air pollution seems to be a huge problem in many countries even though governments have tried to find effective solutions to deal with it. I think that humans are the major cause of this problem. Toxic gas that is emitted directly from vehicles contaminates fresh air and this finally leads to global warming.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, water pollution is also a serious problem. Many factories sometimes release chemical substances in rivers. My house is located near the Chao Praya River. In the past, water was clearer and smelled better than nowadays. People who live in boats, which are not far from my house, always dump garbage in the river. I feel sad that the surroundings are getting worse.
However, it is beneficial for both the environment and ourselves, if we change our behaviours into good ways, for example, conserving trees, turning to clean energy derived from solar, wind and water movement, and using public transports like skytrains, buses and tubes, instead of cars. I believe that starting from ourselves is the best solution of this chronical problem.
If I am not wrong, I have heard the news of air polution in Beijing for three years. It seems like an annual event which happens every first quarter of year in Beijing. Many explanations have been published in news; for example, Beijing faces air polution in the first quarter because of low air pressure in winter season, the geography of Beijing that surrounded by mountains, and high density of manufacturing plants. All of this information bring me to one hypothesis; that is, Beijing actually faces air polution throughout a year, but this polution can obviously see only in the winter season. I make this hypothesis because factories that is the sources of polution do not run only in winter, and they do not move to other locations. However, in other seasons, the proportion of visible particles such as dust and vapor is less than the proportion of chemical molecules such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide; thus, air polution is around people the whole year, but they cannot see it.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, I hope that this annual polution will bring Chinese government to concern more about an environment issue, not focus only one an economic issue, and much more important, hope the government to solve this problem by sustainable solutions; that is, not only force factories in Beijing to relocate to other provinces but also request them to invest in some technology to reduce waste emission.
(Note: Last three days, I heard that some leaders in Chinese government announced that they are considering measures to solve and prevent this problem and they will be more concern about environment issues.)
Beijing make me recall my campus. In my campus at Naknonpathom province, mostly we rode bicycle instead of car and motorcycle. So bicycle is used to be a mark of my campus. I have lived there for 7 years in the campus. I saw that a mark was destroyed not only a scenery but weather by using car and motorcycle. I think I smelled polluted air more often.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sad that ,in the future, there is no bicycle in my campus anymore.