Air Pollution in China

Air Pollution in China

       

    Air pollution has already become a severe problem in China, and it also put Chinese public health in danger.  For example, at the end of last year, Beijing even announced its red alert twice for air pollution, closing down schools and factories, and restricting the use of motor vehicles.  During that time, all of the citizens would be advised to avoid outdoor activities and staying at homes, because air pollution could cause a variety of illnesses to people.  Then, I would introduce different effects of air pollution, and they are closely related to our life.

    People have to undergo a wide range of health effects through contacting air pollution in daily life, and these effects can be roughly divided into two parts: one is short-term effects, and the other one is long-term effects.  Short-term effects of air pollution include nose, eye and throat irritation, allergic reactions, asthma, and so on.  People would feel uncomfortable owing to these symptoms, but they are usually impermanent.  Long-term effects of air pollution include cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, respiratory diseases, etc.  Compare with short-term effects, these symptoms of long-term effects can persist for a longer time or even a lifetime.  At the worst, severe air pollution can even lead to a person’s death.  According to a research published in Nature magazine last year, there had been 1.4 million premature deaths in China as a result of air pollution.     

    Moreover, air pollution affects not only the health of people but also our environment.  The particles of air pollution would finally float down the surface of the earth and water.  For this reason, it can affect the growth of crops and then harm the yield.  Besides, air pollution can also affect the environment by causing acid rain.  When acid rain falls into the earth, it would hurt plants by changing the soil pH.  Everything in this ecosystem is connected, so animals would also be affected by these changes of the earth.

    Just like China, air pollution is considered a big problem for many countries especially for those developing countries, helping reduce air pollution becomes a task of top priority.  For instance, we can take more and more public transportation instead of using private cars, and it can reduce all carbon dioxide gas emissions.  In sum, helping stop air pollution is an important responsibility for all citizens of the Earth in order to achieve sustainable development.