http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/mar/16/air-pollution-biggest-threat-china
By: John Watts
Summary
Many people know that China has a vast amount of factories thanks to most of the one percent of american people who basically own all the money. Well back to China the government is saying that the air pollution is getting better while the truth is that it is getting worse. Dr. Zhang has said that there has been a 10% increase in smog every year. There have also been an increase in PM2.5 and that could increase their chance of getting lung cancer by 2 or 3 times more than normal. Its so bad that they have to wear face masks and can not excersise in their own out doors. During the Olympic games in Bejing the air pollution went down about 10% but after the games were over that 10% was quickly refilled by the air pollution they make. The good Dr. Zhang says that if they dont fix their ways than the air pollution will effect their water and food to the extreme.
I know that to protect the people sometimes you need to hide it from them but lying about what people can tell is going on is just so stupid. Why would you lie to your people if that same thing that you are saying could potentially kill all of your people. I mean if your going to say something like that then you should be wearing a shirt and hat saying I'm stupid. You should also be hiring people who are working in that field. Not just lie about it like some psycho maniac who is going to kill his people and himself. I think that the government is not going quit its old ways with their lying and hiding. They had said a month before this article the Chinese government is going to be more open. With all that pollution and the increase of dieses what can they do about it I mean yeah they would quit using fossil fuels but all that pollution would stay there for a long time and it would probably take 20 to 50 years for all that pollution to go away.
Questions
1. What would you do diffrently than what the Chinese government? Explain why?
2. What kind of alternative resource should China use? Explain why?
3. Where would you start to make changes in China with there air pollution problems?
Reflection/Opinion: This was a very fascinating article! It was crazy how China's government displayed their air pollution getting better and better. However, in reality their air pollution was getting worse and they were simply lying. I can relate this to my life because,most of us watched the Beijing Olympic Games..and we all probably joyed it. Little did we know, that their air pollution decreased at that moment in time, but it was shortly replenished because of the rate China produces pollution that is released into the air. In the end, this comes back to the Chinese government. Didn't their parents teach them that lying will never get them anywhere in life?! The residents of China had no idea how bad their air pollution really was, and what it is doing to their health. Hopefully, an improvement is made soon!
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Question 1: If I was part of the Chinese government, I would be honest. I would make sure the citizens knew that we were having an air pollution issue. But most importantly, I would show them that I'm determined to find a solution and make improvements for our country, our environment and most of all, our health.
Expand: I found this article that focuses on the Olympic Games in Beijing and how their air pollution was at that moment in time. They believe that the air pollution levels decreased because they stopped construction in order to prepare for the Games. But, should we believe this too? Or is it just another lie..? Check it out for yourself here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090724113548.htm
Fun fact: The word LIE is in believe!
Opinion/Reflection
ReplyDeleteIt is a really disturbing fact that they are lying to their people saying that the air pollution is getting better when it is actually getting much worse. I would be a very upset citizen if I lived there. Clearly people see what is going on here, it's not rocket science to understand that the pollution is getting worse. It is something that you can see. If the government will not speak up and say the actual truth, then I think the people who really see the damage being done should speak up and say something. With all the factories in China, it's no surprise this is happening. People should get together to do something about it. I don't know how, since it's such a major problem, but they all have to work together on this, especially the government. Their not being good to their people, their harming them and potentially killing them.
Question 1:
They should make a speech and present it to the people telling them what they already know, that there is a serious problem on their hands that needs to be taken care of. Their not the only ones, this kind of thing happens everywhere around the world. But China's air pollution I would think is by far the worst. Anyway, they have to try to find some alternative resources to use and reduce the amount of factories. Maybe by downsizing and putting a lot of products in the same factory could reduce the amount of pollution, but that could also be more dangerous? If they found new ways to reduce the pollution that'd be great.
Opinion/Reflection
ReplyDeleteIt weird hearing that the government was lying about the air pollution not being bad. It is clearly becoming a problem, but it isn't all China's fault. A lot of the stuff that is manufactured for the United States comes from China. I can't help but feel that we are playing a role in the increasing air pollution. Also, I wonder what caused Beijing to increase after the Olympic games. I knew that the air pollution dropped before the games because the pollution was bad for the athletes, but why didn't Beijing strive to keep the pollution lower after the games. It's pretty stange how much can change over the course of 4 years. This affects me because a lot of the products that are sold in the US are made in China. I feel that if the products were made here, the pollution would be lower in China but worser in the US. Coming up with a way to lower the air pollution and still be able to manufacture products at a fast rate, would really benefit the people in China.
Ask 3 Questions
1) Why did the government lie about the air pollution in China? Why do they feel they should hide the bad pollution?
2) Who should be blamed for the air pollution problem? Why?
3) How does the air pollution in China affect people in the US?
Opinion and Reflection: This article was not surprising to me at all. Of course communist China is hiding negative news from their people! They should not be, but of course they are. I can understand why protecting your people and their feelings is important to the government, but this is not something behind the scenes, like regaurding the financail or military structure of their country. This is something they experience everyday, and their safety is being put at riskk without their knowledge. People performing activites outdoors would not think anything of the smog, but in reality, it is only getting worse. This reminds me of a parent telling their child that Santa Claus des exist, when truly, he does not. Only the difference is, people are being harmed by not knowing the truth right away. I did hear about the improvement in the air during the Olympics, but it did make me sad to read that it quickly went back to how it previously was. If food and water are going to soon be affected, the people deserve to know! I think other countires who are informed of this issue should go public with the information to help the Chinese citizens.
ReplyDelete3) I would start in either the most populated city in China, since the most people are breathing in that air and the factories give off so much pollution, or where there is rich farmland. China's water quality and food should be protected if the want to be able to consume, and have enough for the whole country that is safe to eat.
Questions:
1)Were you surprised by this article ( considering the country is communist)?
2)Do you feel the Chinese people honestly do not know of the true air quality? Wouldn't they catch on?
3) What alternitive energy soucres are most practical to use in China?