Samantha Singha

Mr. Peterson
Writing 39C
18 December 2014
Advocacy Essay: Chinas Plan to Eradicate Smog from its Cities.
Smog has been a major problem in China for many years and will continue being a
problem if current conditions remain the same. Throughout China, factories, vehicles and human
activities have caused Chinas air to become hazardously polluted with deadly chemicals causing
poor health, detrimental environments, and even blocks out the sun on most days of the year.
Chinese governmental officials have been urged by the public to step in, and in doing so, created
the Clean Air Act (2013-2017). The Clean Air Act is a five year policy with a goal to lower the
smog index by 20 percent by, in a gist, putting effort into cutting emissions from coal producing
factories, replacing vehicle fuels, and setting higher standards for facilities and cities. The Clean
Air Act is the best solution to this crisis based on the fact that the plan intends to target multiple
components of the air pollution, has a set deadline, and will mobilize multiple provinces to act in
accordance with the policy.
In the winter of 2013, the air quality become hazy and made breathing so difficult that
schools were closed for the day, some workers took a day off, and most people were coughing.
In some cases Chinese citizens nowadays have taken it upon themselves to make their own air
purifiers, and some creative individuals have come up with some ideas of their own to battle the
pollution. Some ideas include a bicycle that pumps clean air as you pedal, artificial rain to wash
out the smog, and even an electrostatic vacuum cleaner which collects the smog particles

clearing up the skies (Wan). However, the Shanghai government released the official plan after
being, Forced into action by the ensuing public outrage as Time Magazine puts it. The
government has laid out a series of plans to lower the smog levels in the cities that need it most
such as Beijing, Shanghai, and the Yangtze Delta Regions, areas where there is a bountiful
amount of factories. The overall goal of this plan is to have reduced smog levels by 20 percent of
PM2.5 in 2017 compared to the levels in 2012 (Dong). PM2.5 is a measurement created by the
Environmental Protection Agency that checks particulate matter the size of 2.5 microns in the
air. The measurement for healthy air is approximately 50 PM, which is why the crisis in 2013
occurred.
In 2013 Shanghais level reached up to 602.5, surpassing the hazardous level of about
400 PM2.5. This incident urged the government to act quickly. In the act, each city has some
minor adjustments to the plan since each city has different severities of smog level. The most
convincing reason why this plan will make a big impact on the smog levels is the fact that it
includes a variety of ways to cut emissions. Some of which are eliminating outdated industrial
facilities, issuing specific levels and measures for dust pollution in industries, limiting high
polluting vehicles and even preventing some from entering the city, setting higher standards for
pollution emitting cars, organizing an auctions for car licenses which will limit cars on the street
thus reducing car pollution, promoting cleaner energy in cars by switching out old fuel for new
ones, making buses run on electric, switching power on ships from off shore to on shore
generators and finally, banning the use of coal burning. Each one of these steps targets a different
aspect of air pollution either in the vehicular section or the industrial facilities. Targeting these
components will decrease smog pollution even in the slightest bit, and combined with other
sectors as a whole, will make a dent in air pollution. However, coal produces 80 percent of

China's electricity and about 60 percent of its total energy supply (Chang), which is why coal
should be the first priority in cleaning up the current pollution problem. Targeting the biggest
factor will make battling the smaller sources much easier and if the plan works the air should be
immensely cleaner by then.
Accounting for 45 percent of the PM2.5 smog pollution in all of China, the use of coal
should be reduced drastically to meet the goal of the legislation quickest. Eliminating coal, the
biggest contributor of CO2, can cut the worlds carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter. According
to a recent study, "even if American emissions were to suddenly disappear tomorrow, world
emissions would be back at the same level within four years as a result of Chinas growth alone"
(Muller). To accomplish this the Clean Air Act Plan for (2013-2017), has numerous solutions for
coal use in homes as well as in factories and facilities that use coal as a main source of energy.
Because coal use has been Chinas main energy for years, China is the number one carbon
emitter in the world, even with all of the other countries combined, China comes out on top
(Bloomberg). To eliminate coal use completely within five years is impossible, however
reducing the usage little by little is more possible. The Chinese government plans to increase the
non-fossil fuel usage, such as natural gases, nuclear, wind, solar and other zero emission
generation capacity (Leavenworth). To reduce coal use in factories such as smelteries, metal
plants, textiles, electroplating, forgeries and such, they plan to either shut down 2,500 coal
boilers and 300 industrial furnaces or have them switch to a cleaner source of energy (Philips).
The plan also mentions buying electricity from other provinces to cut down coal use and
dependency. The coal plants are required to use the cleanest coals possible if not banning coal at
all. All coal will be inspected for cleanliness upon importing and any coal that ...contains 30%
or more of ash content and 1.5% or more of sulfur content... is banned from being bought

(Bloomberg). Many homes use coal burning during winter as a source of heat and this causes the
air around October to January to be heavily dense with smog and chemicals. To overcome home
usage of coal, the government plans to replace homes with electrical heaters.
In order for the Clean Air Act Plan to have a strong impact on air quality and move
forward, requires the participation and involvement of many members in the community.
Cutting Chinas dependence on coal-burning requires state-owned industries, such as Chinas
oil and power companies, which have long resisted governmental environmental controls, to
reduce their use (Shanghai). To make sure the companies follow the environmental law, the
government has stated that if these companies do not follow their directive, the government will
block companys access to bank loans as well as the tax breaks. In the cities, China is hoping the
officials who enforce laws in cities and the owners of polluting companies will abide by the
policies closely to make a dent on the pollution crisis. The Chinese government has let the
officials in each province know that if their city is in the Top Ten Dirtiest Cities in China list,
made by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, their promotions will be at risk. However
according to Zhao Wei, a coal distributor in Tang county says that some factories have
avoided those controls by hiding their pollution, such as letting off air emissions at night when
they're harder to detect (Chang). There will definitely be some individuals that try to find
loopholes in the laws since the government cant monitor the plans 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. Some of the feedback on this ban in the residential communities comes from a farmer who
states that "We're talking about poor people. There are no pipelines to bring in natural gas.
There's no way they'll replace coal."(Chang). This is one of the problems with the Clean Air Act.
Some poorer areas of the country are not as well-developed nor suited for rapid technological
change. In the poorer areas of the province some pipelines for natural gases have not been built

yet creating concern about whether the plan will actually go through, but the government is
working their ways from big cities downward, which is why the plan is a five year plan.
Economically, the total cost of the Clean Air Act is an estimated 280 billion US dollars.
In Shanghai, Zhou Qiang, secretary general of the Shanghai Development and Reform
Commission says, Fiscal investment in environmental protection is kept at about 3 percent of
the citys GDP (Shanghai). From abroad, the United States and parts of Europe have begun
showing interest in Chinas clean air market tech, making the future cost to be around 555 billion
dollars by 2020. The cost and effect of this plan does not just limit itself to China but Australia as
well. Since China imports some of their coal, placing a ban on dirty coal it means that Australia,
one of their main sources of coal, will be losing some revenue. The downside of this plan is that
about 4 billion dollars in revenue will be lost since Australias coal does not meet the standard
China has set for cleaner coal (Mcnab). However, the loss of a portion of Australias revenue
will increase the cleanliness of the air, not just for China, but the world. The economy in
Shanghai will be invariably affected by the environmental laws, but the citys industrial and
economic growth in the next few years will also enable Shanghai to raise economic efficiency,
growth quality and competitiveness and save land and resources for emerging industries says
Ma Jing, chief engineer of the Shanghai Economic and Information Technology Commission.
(Shanghai). Overall, the benefit of the environmental plans outweigh the monetary cost.
The Clean Air Act Plan is being enforced throughout China specifically the heaviest
smog regions. Shanghai and the other regions including the Yangtze Delta region like the
Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, must work together to accomplish the 20 percent reduced
PM2.5 levels set up by the government. Coal should be the main focus because coal is not only a
regressive form of energy but it contributes to a major chunk of air pollution in China. The plan

will target plants by reducing the heavily polluting, old industries, replace the existing plants coal
fuel with renewable sources of energy such as natural gas, wind or solar, replace home coal use
with electricity, and monitor clean coal imports. The Clean Air Act plan itself, not just the focus
on coal, should be highly enforced because not only does it set up parameters for each sector to
follow, the plan mobilizes each city to do their part, and builds up a sense of urgency in the
officials to follow through with the plan. The Chinese government has even gone so far as to
have a sort of punishment for the cities and or companies who do not follow the regulations.
Each city must do its part to reduce coal use and or switch to renewable energy sources. China
will be making use of the plan to hopefully reduce carbon emissions and clean up their skies
throughout the nation. If this plan goes through successfully, China will have cleaner skies,
breathable air and healthier citizens. Perhaps China can serve as a model for other countries
suffering from smog and or air pollution and take a different approach if not to reduce coal use
then to turn to modern renewable forms of energy.

Source Cited
"Shanghai Introduces the Clean Air Action Plan (2013 - 2017)." Shanghai Introduces the Clean
Air Action Plan (2013 - 2017). Shanghai Municipality, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 06 Dec. 2014.

Dong, Liu. "Shanghai Publishes Clean Air Action Plan - Global Times. Shanghai Publishes
Clean Air Action Plan - Global Times. Global Times, 19 Oct. 2013. Web. 06 Dec. 2014.

Philips, Ari. "Shanghai To Forbid Coal Burning As China Decides To Monitor Smogs Effects."
Think Progress RSS. Climate Progress, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 06 Dec. 2014.

Yongqiang, Gu. "The Cost of Cleaning Chinas Filthy Air? About $817 Billion, One Official
Says | TIME.com." World The Cost of Cleaning Chinas Filthy Air About 817 Billion One
Official Says Comments. Time Magazine, 25 Sept. 2013. Web. 06 Dec. 2014.

Wan, William. "China's Air Pollution Prompts Creative, Sometimes Wacky, Solutions."
Washington Post. The Washington Post, 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 06 Dec. 2014.

Bloomberg News. "China Bans Use of Coal With High Ash or Sulfur to Fight
Smog."Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 16 Sept. 2014. Web. 06 Dec. 2014.

Chang, Jack. "Top Stories." AP Top News Headlines. Tampa Bay Times, n.d. Web. 06 Dec.
2014.

Leavenworth, Stuart. "U.S., China Unveil Pact to Cut Greenhouse-gas Emissions."

OrlandoSentinel.com. N.p., 12 Nov. 2014. Web. 06 Dec. 2014.

Australia, Heather Mcnab for Daily mail. "China Coal Crisis: Nearly HALF of Australia's Coal
Exports Could Be Hit by a Ban on 'dirty' Minerals Which May See the Nation Lose $4 BILLION
in Revenue." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 17 Sept. 2014. Web. 06 Dec. 2014.
"Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality." What Is Smog. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov.
2014.
<http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/PROGRAMS/OzoneActionProgram/OzoneFactsandExperi
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Muller, Elizabeth "China Must Exploit Its Shale Gas" The Telegraph, 12 April 2013