Air Pollution in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Air Pollution in China - Essay Example The health analysts have promised more disease such as lung cancer, pulmonary diseases, and other health complications as a consequence of the air pollution trends. Cumulatively, the effects of air pollution have a negative impact on the economic growth of a country, which is a severe problem in society. Consequently, there is a need to focus on the causes of air pollution, its impacts and the possible preventive measures that can be used to mitigate against the scourge. Reilly (2011, p. 1) points out that the progressive development of China for three consecutive decades has come along with adverse consequences on the environment. In the last 30 years, China has experienced the highest level of industrial development which has consistently contributed to the development of this state. However, industrialization has been accompanied by the emission of hazardous gases in the atmosphere which has contributed to an increase in the carbon dioxide gas content in the atmosphere. Most indus tries use crude oil products to fuel their machines as the source of industrial power. The by product of these industries include smoke, whose carbon dioxide content is high and additive to the atmosphere. As most industries regard the cost of fuel as cheaper than that of electricity, they opt to use this kind of power and consequently contributing to build up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Urbanisation is another factor that has contributed to the increased air pollution in the atmospheres. With development of industries, most people have relocated to urban areas in search of job opportunities and better livelihoods. This population build up in China towns predisposes the environment to the risk of air pollution. For instance, Beijing alone has a population of more that 22 million people, a figure that is more than double the population in New York City (Policy and Global Affairs, 2005). As people obtain job in the urban areas, they have the ability to purchase vehicles that run by diesel or petrol. For instance, in Beijing, every day the town experience an increase in its automotive by a figure of 2000 new cars. This trend promises an increase in the rate of air pollution and an increase in the adverse effects of the carbon dioxide surge in the atmosphere. This has sent an alarm to environmentalists to design effective mitigative measures to reduce and if possible eliminate the level of air pollution in China. In the rural areas of China, solid fuels contribute to the increase in the rates of air pollution in the country (Policy and Global Affairs, 2005, P. 6). One characteristic of the rural areas in China is that they have the poorest and disadvantaged groups who live well below the poverty line. This lifestyle makes it hard for the people to afford alternative means of fuel such as electricity and they have to resort to the use of coal, corn stalks, firewood and other biomass. Burning these solid fuels produces a lot of smoke that contains high leve ls of carbon dioxide and other unfriendly gases that are unhealthy for human consumption. Coupled with the fact that this population has no chimney facilities accelerates the rate of air pollution in the atmosphere. The fact that the majority of the population lives in rural areas makes it even more complex to induce preventive measures to curb environmental pollution in this region of China. In essence, Energy is a