Want China Times, Xinhua 2013-12-08
The Nanjing government issued a "red alert" — the most serious — for air pollution as smog continued to shroud eastern China for the fifth straight day.
Tianjin shrouded in smog, Dec. 7. (Photo/Xinhua) |
The Nanjing government issued a "red alert" — the most serious — for air pollution as smog continued to shroud eastern China for the fifth straight day.
In
Shanghai, PM 2.5, or particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5
micrometers, reached a staggering reading of 602.5. In the city's Lujiazui
area, China's financial center, pedestrians covered their faces with thick
masks.
Since
skyrocketing economic growth usually ensures a fast track for promotion,
Chinese officials have scrambled for heavy industrial projects that draw huge
investment, and they often do so at the cost of the environment. President Xi
Jinping promised to try and change the focus on GDP in selecting officials for
promotion.
President
Xi has called for comprehensive efforts to curb pollution, particularly in
areas surrounding rivers and lakes as well as targeting major air-polluting
industries.
Stressing
that only "the strictest system and tightest law enforcement" can
ensure the future of China's environment, Xi has urged that those behind
irresponsible decision-making that leads to severe pollution should take
responsibility for their actions.
The State
Council, China's cabinet, outlined ten measures in June for curbing the air
pollution that is plaguing the country, vowing that it would lay down
"tough measures for a tough task."
Green
innovation should be incorporated into any economic reform, the State Council
announced.
The State
Council promised to strictly control high energy-consuming and polluting
industries, adjust energy infrastructure and control levels of PM 2.5 in
populated regions and major cities.
It set a
goal of reducing emissions of major air pollutants by industries by at least
30% by the end of 2017.
According
to environmental protection officials, it used to be common practice to place
pollution monitors strategically in places that would result in less serious
readings, but this year these tactics are less common.
"Curbing
air pollution is a complicated and systematic project that requires long-term
effort," the cabinet noted in a statement.
Xiang Lili,
a university professor in Nanjing, had to ask for leave to take care of her
4-year-old son on Friday when all the schools in the city closed because of the
red alert.
"If
the government cannot reverse the poor air quality, I will be really
disillusioned about the future of our society," Xiang said.
Officials
and activists say the state of the environment has become a thorny issue in
relations between the Communist Party and the public.
"The
heavy smog outside is a wake-up call for everybody," said Gao Wenxue,
deputy director of the environment protection bureau in the city of Huai'an,
Jiangsu Province.
"If we
can't resolve the environmental problems, there will be a significant impact on
relations between the party and the people, in terms of social stability,"
Gao said.
Social
networking websites and applications meanwhile were awash with tips for living
through the smog crisis.
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