Chinese government tackles growing pollution problem

China’s programs to cut emissions from coal-fired power plants have somewhat succeeded, but more environmental problems have arisen due to the rapidly rising industrial output, such as coal-fueled steel production and low fuel standards for China’s growing numbers of cars and trucks. Analysts say that emission goals that target specific air pollutants are not enough to address the widening air-quality problems.
 
China’s new leaders are determined to find and stamp down pollution sources, after acknowledging that the clamor of an increasingly pollution-conscious citizenry must be appeased, without undermining economic growth. The problem drew national concern recently when Beijing’s levels of PM2.5 — tiny particulate matter harmful to human health, were up by more than 70 times than what the World Health Organization considers safe.
 
Over the long term, industrial facilities and oil refineries will require costly upgrades to effectively draw down emissions. But this meets resistance from local governments and the two state-owned companies: Sinopec says that it has spent billions of dollars upgrading their refineries; and Petro China says that it complies with national quality requirements. Heavily regulated fuel prices have kept refiners from producing cleaner fuel, as they cannot pass on the higher costs to consumers.
 
China’s nationwide pollution problems are complex; “They’re succeeding at some of the big but simpler problems and really just getting started on more complicated secondary pollutant problems,” said Chris Nielsen, a researcher on the project and executive director of Harvard’s China Project, which focuses on the atmospheric environment.
 
Steel production has grown steadily in recent years in China as the government invested heavily in infrastructure to support growth. Some steps to curb steel emissions have been enforced: The latest industry blueprint from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which took effect in October, cut maximum thresholds for sulfur dioxide emissions.
 
Furthermore, because China has become the largest auto market for new vehicles, curbing industrial emissions becomes a bigger challenge to the new government. Trucks account for almost a quarter of China’s vehicles but contribute almost 80% of vehicle particulate matter. (January 24, 2013)