Impact Of Air Pollution In China - Free Essay Example

Ever since Deng Xiaopings Reform and Opening Up policy, which emphasized on rapid industrialization and decentralization, China experienced an economic miracle, ranking 2nd in GDP in the world and lifting millions out of poverty. However, this GDP-above-all rationale which radically improved Chinas economy has dealt a huge blow to the environment. For instance, the heavy exploitation of land and natural resources, as well as the reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation are one of the few sources contributing to Chinas environmental destruction. Since the scope of environmental pollution is too large for practical concerns, I shall only be evaluating the impact of air pollution on Chinas development in this essay, as air pollution is one of the most dangerous and controversial type of pollution occurring nowadays in China. Owing to the combustion of coal and malpractices of the heavy industry, air pollution has been ever worsening in China ever since the Reform and Opening Up, however it seems to have worsened drastically for the past decade. For example, smog, a weather phenomenon involving a dense layer of dust suspended in air (mainly PM2.5 and SO2), is bringing disastrous effects to many eastern cities in China, and the problem was brought to light when even the capital, Beijing, succumbed to the heavy smog. According to lecture readings, a mere 22/522 cities in China have good air quality with 55 having seriously unacceptable air quality . Air pollution problem in China has caused various negative impacts to health, economic development and social development. Firstly, in terms of health implications, severe air pollution has led to deterioration in general health and thus an increased burden on Chinas public health system. In fact, air pollution has caused 1.58 million deaths in China in 2016 alone , coming second in the world after India. Air pollution is now the 4th most common cause of death in the world, with 6.1 million deaths in 2016 attributed to air pollution, since it causes serious illnesses like cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Polluted air contains substances such as sulphur dioxide and PM 2.5 suspended particulates, accumulate in the respiratory tract or enter the bloodstream, either as an irritant inducing heart and lung diseases, or even as a carcinogen to induce cancer, resulting in death or affecting child development due to prolonged exposure. Air pollution has also cast doubts on Chinas public health system. According to the World Bank, the health expenditure resulted from air pollution accounted for 2% of Chinas GDP, mainly because of increased usage of emergency visits in acute cardiopulmonary conditions, which is on the rise partly due to air pollution (as well as lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity, etc) . This expenditure is projected to rise as more and more people gradually become sick, forcing the government to allocate more resources into public healthcare. Should China fail to reduce pollution and prevent air pollution-associated illnesses, a huge sum would have to be paid to address public health problems in curing the population. From the viewpoint of economics, the Reform and Opening Up brought benefits to both the urban and rural communities. Ironically, it has brought drawbacks to both by sacrificing the environment in favor of rapid economic growth. Firstly, in urban cities, the worsening air pollution has led to a reduction in foreign interest in investing in China and incentive to set up branches in China, as well as unwillingness of overseas staff, especially experts and senior executive staff, to come to China for work. With persistent smog, the poor living standards (as aforementioned the possible adverse health effects of smog) and work environment has deterred businesses to set up branches in China. For example, in a survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce, which covered various businesses in eastern and northern part of China, Almost one-third of the companies said they had no plans to expand investments in China in the coming year (2016), up from 27 percent last year and 16 percent in 2013, and more than half of the respondents said pollution made it more difficult to recruit senior executives to work in China, raising concerns over air quality turning away expertise, professionals and executives away from working in China . Secondly, tourism is also affected by air pollution. In the past decade, China has begun developing its tourism industry. As a result, tourism related profits, including retail, service and hotel industries, begins to contribute more and more to Chinas total GDP. However, with the severe smog, foreigners will be deterred from visiting China, partly because of health issues, and partly because of the diminished attractiveness of natural scenic spots, which used to be a main feature of Chinas tourism, thus undoubtedly reducing Chinas income from tourism. In fact, 6 out of 8 Chinese cities including Beijing which made it into the Top 100 City Destination Rankings by Euromonitor International, experienced a drop in tourist arrival from 2012 to 2013, which correlated with the notorious reports of heavy smog during the time. With more traditional and social media from both China and beyond such as documentaries and news, China is more often put under the international spotlight than before , and the actual air pollution problem can be easily depicted and shown to foreign tourists, hence lowering their desire to come to China fearing for their health, not only leading to a reduced number of tourists but also a significant decrease in national income from tourism and related industries. Thirdly, agriculture in China is also affected by air pollution. Being one of the largest agricultural economies in the world, China has a history of ? »Ã‚ «Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¹, or to establish the country by agriculture, and currently produces 1/5 of the worlds grain and 1/2 of worlds vegetables . However, air pollution affects farming in two ways. Firstly, air pollutants like sulphur dioxide or ozone directly contaminate water sources or soil, thus affecting the crops. Secondly, the presence of suspended particulates blocks out sunlight, resulting in lowered photosynthesis rates and hence yield less crops. For example, Hunan, being a major province of rice production, is suffering from decreased crop yield these years . The severe air pollution also affects the farmers health and thus productivity, as they often work outdoors, inhaling a lot of pollutants over time, and thus prone to the aforementioned health risks. As we can see, despite economic gains from the Reform and Opening Up, the economy in both urban and rural areas are suffering from air pollution, which suggests the scope and severity of air pollution on Chinas economic growth. In the social aspects, air pollution has stirred civil unrest and general dissatisfaction towards the alleged industries and government responsible for air pollution. This originates from the inability of the civil society or media to observe or regulate malpractices, due to the lack of transparency and participation of civil society or media in Chinas government policies and industries, especially in the past. Over the years, a lot of mistrust is built up in the population, some of which resorting to unorthodox or illegal methods to voice their opinions towards malpractice. For example, a complaint of bad odor and leakage from a chemical factory in Fujian has escalated into riots and violent clashes with the factory staff and the police who were sent for a c rackdown, of which many were arrested, and several staff were badly beaten . Had there been effective, legal measures for locals to complain, and officials to address this problem, violence could have been avoided. In conclusion, air pollution has dealt severe blows to Chinas urban and rural economy, citizen health, and social stability. Chinas environmental protection minister, Zhou ShengXian, admitted that Environmental quality is not satisfactory and environmental protection work is arduous, on the Peoples Daily. The government must act swiftly to enforce strict environmental regulations; the industries ought to establish better corporate social responsibility to reduce their malpractices; and the civil society ought to voice out concerns more in order to pressurize the local government or industry. It is only through combined efforts and decisiveness of the Chinese Government, which is still a massive influence in Chinas policy-making and development, can air pollution be alleviated.

The Gift of the Ribbono Shel Olom - Literature Essay Samples

In Chaim Potok’s novel My Name is Asher Lev, Asher struggles with self-identity and going against tradition, which ultimately leads him to question whether his gift of art comes from the Ribbono Shel Olom or the sitra achra. Asher’s gift comes from the Ribbono Shel Olom for three main reasons: all gifts come from the Ribbono Shel Olom, conflicts between following tradition and striving for individuality leads to the distortion of the truth, and his gift is the Ribbono Shel Olom’s will. Although one may seem to think that Asher’s gift comes from the sitra achra, the themes of irony and blindness reveal deeper concepts which confirm the fact that Asher’s gift comes from the Ribbono Shel Olom. In a meeting with Asher regarding his career in art, the Rebbe says, â€Å"Certain things are given, and it is for man to bring goodness into the world. The Master of the Universe gives us glimpses, only glimpses. It is for us to open our eyes wide.† Simply put, gifts and talents come from the Ribbono Shel Olom. In addition, it is in our calling to bring forth these gifts and utilize them to bring goodness into the world. This is what Asher is doing; bringing goodness into the world by revealing the truth through his art. Then again, the truth is not pretty and can end up hurting others, but, as a matter of fact, the world is not pretty. Asher is simply painting truth and reality in order to bring peace and balance into the world. Furthermore, when the Rebbe meets with Asher later in his life to discuss him moving out of the community, he says, â€Å"I do not hold with those who believe that all painting and sculpture is from the sitra achra. I believe such gifts are from the Master of the Universe. But they have to be used wisely, Asher.† In this quotation, wisely is the key word. As long as Asher is using his gift for good, he is not doing the work of the sitra achra. However, even if he does commit a sin with his gift, it is still not correct to say that his gift originates from the sitra achra; his gift originates from the Ribbono Shel Olom. The conflict between following tradition and striving for individuality is a major theme throughout the book, and it is shown that it leads to the distortion of the truth that Asher’s gift comes from the Ribbono Shel Olom. The main character who distorts this image is Asher’s father, who says, â€Å"Asher, if you had a choice between aesthetic blindness and moral blindness, which would you choose?† It is important to realize that Asher’s father does not, and will not, try to understand Asher’s gift. Because he is fixed upon the belief that art leads to work for the sitra achra, he wants Asher to choose aesthetic blindness because it will make others happy. For this reason, Asher’s father cannot see art superficially, nor does he understand Asher’s motives, which leads him to the misinterpretation that the gift is from the sitra achra. Ultimately, Asher’s view of his own gift is distorted by his father’s blindness and lack of understanding as he emphasizes in the quotation, â€Å"It is the Other Side, I told myself. It is the Other Side. But I can’t help it.† Considering the given facts, it is safe to say that because of his father’s blindness, Asher’s gift from the Ribbono Shel Olom is misinterpreted as work of the sitra achra. The final argument that proves that Asher’s gift comes from the Ribbono Shel Olom is the fact that it is simply His will. For example, Asher’s father tells him, â€Å"The Ribbono Shel Olom gave every man a will. Every man is responsible for what he does, because he has a will and by that will he directs his life.† This quotation is almost ironic due to the fact that Asher is doing exactly what his father is telling him with his art, but his father has not accepted it. In other words, his father is trying to have Asher understand the concept that the Ribbono Shel Olom gives every man a will in which he is to direct his life with, but what he does not realize is that the answer is right under his nose: Asher’s will is to pursue art, whether or not it brings happiness, pain, or resentment, that is the whole idea of the novel itself. To emphasize, Asher reads a passage from the book of Deuteronomy which says, â€Å"But the thing is very near to you, in your m outh and in your heart, that you may do it.† This passage is a parallel to Asher’s gift because it illustrates the concept that his gift is for him to take and accept, for it is God’s will to do so, and upon that will, he shall lead his life in order to bring peace and balance into the world. Given these three points, it can be concluded that Asher’s gift comes from the Ribbono Shel Olom because all gifts originate from the Ribbono Shel Olom regardless of sin, the conflict between following tradition and striving for individuality lead to misinterpretations of the truth, and it is clearly the Ribbono Shel Olom’s will that Asher pursue art to bring balance into the world. Asher’s internal struggle with finding his identity and learning to accept that his art will hurt and confuse others does not deter him from the fact that he must continue his journey of becoming a great artist with gifts given to him from the Ribbono Shel Olom; one who paints the anguish of all the world in order to give balance to the universe and his conscience.