Beijing’s AQI Levels on the Rise
Beijing’s rapid urbanization has caused it’s air quality levels to take a turn for the worse. Record breaking AQI levels in late 2011 forced the government to implement a number of safety precautions — including the ‘red alert’ system. Many Beijingers have reported that despite these efforts, the blanket of haze seems to be getting worse every year. One Beijing resident even went on to say that ten years ago, the smog was nearly nonexistent.
Yet, it is apparent to any onlooker that many people do not take appropriate precautionary measures, such as wearing a face mask. This leaves us with one question: Have local residents become numb to this issue? Today, in anticipation of Beijing’s third ever red alert, we are at a local hospital in Beijing to speak to a health professional. There are countless patients in sight. Most of them seem to have terrible coughs and colds. Doctor Li, who has studied occupational diseases, had a lot to say about how Beijing is handling their pollution problem.
“The government does a lot to control the air pollution, but china is a developing country. Like America and Britain once, every country has to go through this stage. Our country is certainly working on controlling their carbon emissions”
“Ten years ago, there was no pollution forecast. We didn’t know how much PM 2.5 was in the air. Only three years ago did the government implement these forecasts. When they didn’t tell us the forecasts, people used to mistake the haze for fog.”
Dr. Li also talked about the health hazards of PM 2.5. He said
“The difference between PM 2.5 and other pollutants is that PM2.5 enters the lungs and the pulmonary alveoli and is hard to come back out. “
Surprisingly, when I asked him about how people usually deal with red alerts, he told us this:
“Many people are aware of the health hazards of pollution, and the majority of people wear their face masks.”
As we can see, these Beijing residents are aware of what’s happening in their city, and are doing their best to manage.
2. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/business/energy-environment/china-takes-on-steel-smog.html3. http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/iaq_intro.html
4. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35351597
5. Interview
