Hazardous Air Pollution in Beijing Triggers Online Call for Clean Air Act
January 30th, 2013 by 
As Beijing residents continue to endure choking air pollution that far exceeds safe levels, an online poll has found overwhelming support for new clean air legislation.
Ten hours after real estate mogul Pan Shiyi posted the poll on the popular social media platform Sina Weibo, 99 percent of respondents — more than 32,000 people — agreed that the government should enact a Clean Air Act, with many users offering specific measures to curb pollution, including car-free days during smoggy periods, stricter auto emissions standards, and public health protections.
The dangerous cloud of pollution that has hung over Beijing for about a month now covers roughly 1.3 million square kilometers, according to the government-run Xinhua news agency. In Beijing this week, visibility fell to 500 meters, and some city natives called it the “worst fog ever,” according to a report in China Daily. “Controlling air pollution requires the participation of every citizen,” wrote Pan, himself a member of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress. “Most important is implementing laws.”
Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.
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Tags:  air pollution Beijing China Clean Airt Act public health Xinhua | [ Permalink ] |
This is unbelievable. The reduction of air pollution is one of the most important issues within the so-called Greenest City 2020 Action Plan introduced in my native Vancouver whose aim is to eliminate the negative impact that our actions have on the environment. I’m convinced if all of us contribute to that common goal by our own efforts the first positive signals will be seen even in the short term. However, I’m afraid these efforts can easily be thwarted in other countries when the significant changes are not supported and promoted by the government.