Air Pollution in China

January 2013 saw some of the worst air pollution in China’s history.

Coal fired plants have played a major role in the air pollution which was

40x the acceptable level allowed by the WHO

Health Concerns

• A study released by America’s National Academy of Sciences found the air so polluted in northern China that it could reduce the average life expectancy by five and a half years.

• Children are particularly affected by this air and asthma is on the rise.

The Chinese say…

• They are just doing the same thing Japan, Britain and the US has done – “grow first, clean up later”.

• China’s greenhouse gas emissions were about 10% of the world’s total in 1990. Now they are 30%.

India’s pollution problems

According to the NY Times…

• Last month, the Yale Environmental Performance Index ranked India 174th out of 178 countries on air pollution. According to India’s Central Pollution Control Board, in 2010, particulate matter in the air of 180 Indian cities was six times higher than World Health Organization standards. More people die of asthma in India than anywhere else in the world

Causes of air pollution

• Diesel fuel – automobile sales have skyrocketed in India recently and most run on diesel fuel

• Industry + lack of regulation have also contributed greatly to the problem