The Pollution Situation in The People’s Republic of China

Lead Author Major

David Zhang

Lead Author Status

Senior

Format

Oral Presentation

Faculty Mentor Name

Jie Lu

Faculty Mentor Department

Modern Languages and Literature

Abstract/Artist Statement

With the rapid industrialization of developing countries such as China, pollution has increasingly become a serious issue for their governments and citizens. Focusing on Beijing as a sample of analysis, the paper uses current Air Pollution Index (API) measurements of the severity of various pollution types in different districts of Beijing to show and discuss how variations in environmental conditions such as weather, temperature, and seasons have led to serious air pollution. The complex socioeconomic history of Beijing’s rapid development and modernization has played a crucial role in the rise of pollution in the city. With the increased industrial activity and changes in the social conventions and expectations in Chinese society, factors, such as car ownership and social attitudes towards wealth and the environment, have come to often hinder Beijing’s efforts to mitigate the effect of pollution. With resistance from the people of Beijing, only a limited number of policies to curb pollution have been enacted often with little actual enforcement. Recently, though, Chinese society may be experiencing a change in the negative attitudes towards pollution control, The Chinese government has begun to enact sweeping policies designed to limit pollution and only future well-implemented policies have a chance of reversing the pollution situation in Beijing.

Location

DeRosa University Center, Room 211

Start Date

29-4-2017 10:40 AM

End Date

29-4-2017 11:00 AM

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Apr 29th, 10:40 AM Apr 29th, 11:00 AM

The Pollution Situation in The People’s Republic of China

DeRosa University Center, Room 211

With the rapid industrialization of developing countries such as China, pollution has increasingly become a serious issue for their governments and citizens. Focusing on Beijing as a sample of analysis, the paper uses current Air Pollution Index (API) measurements of the severity of various pollution types in different districts of Beijing to show and discuss how variations in environmental conditions such as weather, temperature, and seasons have led to serious air pollution. The complex socioeconomic history of Beijing’s rapid development and modernization has played a crucial role in the rise of pollution in the city. With the increased industrial activity and changes in the social conventions and expectations in Chinese society, factors, such as car ownership and social attitudes towards wealth and the environment, have come to often hinder Beijing’s efforts to mitigate the effect of pollution. With resistance from the people of Beijing, only a limited number of policies to curb pollution have been enacted often with little actual enforcement. Recently, though, Chinese society may be experiencing a change in the negative attitudes towards pollution control, The Chinese government has begun to enact sweeping policies designed to limit pollution and only future well-implemented policies have a chance of reversing the pollution situation in Beijing.