China’s Coal Pollution Problem

China is the most populated country in the world. The population has grown to well over one billion people. It is difficult to provide this many people with enough energy, and the Chinese government has turned to coal to satisfy this massive energy demand. However, using coal to create energy has many negative side effects. Coal factories spew toxic pollution into the air which leads to severe health problems for the Chinese people who are forced to breathe this air pollution. Furthermore, China’s massive coal use is destroying the environment by polluting the country’s water sources. The Chinese government owns the coal factories and it is up to them to fix this problem. Though they have put measures into place to reduce the health and environmental risks associated with their coal factories, it is still not enough. The Chinese government must put stricter regulations on coal factories and look to other sources of energy in order to reduce the harm that these factories are doing to the people and the environment.

The town of Linfen, China highlights the seriousness of China’s coal pollution problems. Linfen has often been referred to as the most polluted city on Earth. Documentarian David Feinberg traveled to Linfen to record the devastating effects that pollution from coal factories has had on this city. The visual evidence of coal pollution in Linfen is astounding. The air is permanently choked by a thick black cloud of smoke from the surrounding coal factories as massive coal trucks rumble in and out of the city by the thousands. Millions of people live in Linfen and “breathing the air there is like smoking three packs of cigarettes a day” (Feinberg). The citizens of Linfen have no control over their own fate. The government owned coal factories have put the citizens of Linfen at risk by allowing the pollution to become so bad. However, though Linfen serves as a warning to the government that this problem is getting out of control, many cities in China face the same risks as Linfen. “Sixteen of the world’s twenty most polluted cities are in China” (Feinberg). Pollution from coal is a country-wide problem, and the government needs to fix it as soon as possible because the negative health and environmental impacts from China’s coal factories are destroying the country.

The environmental impact of the government owned coal factories is terrible. One of the main problems that stem from these factories is water quality and contamination. “In China, over half of all rivers are polluted, one-third of lakes are polluted, and over ninety percent of the urban groundwater is polluted” (Feinberg). The fact that the vast majority of water sources that the Chinese people use for drinking and agriculture are polluted shows how bad this problem has become. The polluted water contains toxins that have been shown to cause cancer. Furthermore, using polluted water for agriculture is destroying many of China’s food crops. In addition to creating toxic water, the coal factories also consume vast amounts of water. This results in rivers and springs being dried up and making the ground dry and unfit to farm. This water pollution also leads to acid rain. A study of the rain in Beijing showed that “From 2001 to 2003, about 70% of the precipitation pH was 6.0 to 6.9 and 12% was in the range of acid rain” (qtd. in Hu et al. 458). This acid rain destroys crops and further contaminates the groundwater. The massive amount of water pollution in China is destroying plant and animal life. The coal factories are killing the Chinese environment which is also leading to severe health problems for Chinese citizens. However, water pollution from coal factories is only one way in which these factories are harming Chinese citizens.

The main health problems that stem from the massive government owned coal factories come from breathing in the pollution that these factories are pumping into the air. According to Hu et al., “throughout the past three decades, coal smoke has been the main type of air pollution. Between 1978 and 1997, the main pollutant was SO2, followed by PM. However, since 1998, the main pollutant in most regions has been PM.” (453). This SO2 (sulfur dioxide) and PM (particulate matter) are the main cause of many severe health problems. Breathing in toxic air that is filled with SO2 and PM leads to many of the devastating diseases that are associated with long term cigarette smoking. The most severe health problems associated with breathing in the toxic fumes are; “difficulty breathing, decreased lung function, aggravated asthma, development of chronic bronchitis, heart arrhythmias, heart attacks, cancer, and premature death” (qtd. in Fraser 729). Over one billion people are forced to breathe toxic air that is slowly killing them and the government must step in and fix this problem.

In China, it is illegal to privately own a coal mine or factory. Though some citizens still try to mine coal, the vast majority of pollution comes from the massive government owned coal factories. Therefore, it is up to the Chinese government to attempt to fix this massive problem that they have caused. The fact that the government has the power to make things better was shown by the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In order to get rid of the massive amount of air pollution and make Beijing look environmentally safe for a national audience, the Chinese government shut down the coal factories in the weeks leading up to the Olympics. The huge clouds of smoke disappeared from the air and the city was much safer during the Olympics. In fact, the Chinese government put thirteen regulations into place concerning pollution specifically for the Beijing Olympics. According to Hu et al., “Among these 13 items was the implementation of the Euro-III emission standards to reduce the vehicle exhaust in 2006, reducing NO2 and CO concentration” (459). Though these regulations helped to greatly reduce the amount of air and water pollution caused by coal factories in China, they were only temporary. After the Olympics were over, the coal factory regulations were lifted and the massive pollution continued as it had before the Olympics.

However, the Chinese government realizes what they are doing to their people and environment and have begun to implement CCT (cleaner coal technologies) in an attempt to reduce the harm that the coal factories are causing. However, “China’s experience with CCT demonstrates some degree of greening of the Chinese state, whilst highlighting that significant effort is stilled needed to reconcile environmental protection with economic development” (Ohshita and Ortolano 94). The main problem is that the Chinese government is favoring economic development over protecting their environment and people. The government argues that the pollution from coal stems from their rapid economic growth and that this has been a part of every major country’s economic growth. The fact that other countries have gone through periods of massive pollution from coal is certainly true. The problems of coal pollution first became apparent in England during the Industrial Revolution. Even today, according to Genon Jensen, the executive director of the Health and Environmental Alliance, “European coal-fired plants are causing 18,200 premature deaths and serious and serious illnesses that cost the population up to €43 billion each year” (78). In fact, the United States also went through this same problem and is still “the largest polluter per capita in the world” (Feinberg). This does not excuse China from committing the same mistakes. The purpose of history is to learn from it and not repeat the mistakes of the past. Rather than viewing coal pollution as a natural step in becoming an economic superpower, the Chinese government needs to assess the massive environmental and health problems that coal factories have cause all over the world. The risks to the environment and citizens outweigh the benefits of cheap power. China must put stricter regulations in place and break out of the trend of sacrificing their environment and public health in favor of economic growth.

In conclusion, the vast majority of China’s population gets their energy from coal. The massive government owned coal factories are killing the environment and causing severe health problems for Chinese citizens. The town of Linfen, “the most polluted city on Earth” shows how bad this problem has become. The Chinese government has control over the coal factories and it is their responsibility to fix this growing problem. Their current regulations are not enough to end the negative environmental and health impacts from coal factories. The Chinese government needs to quit viewing this massive pollution as a normal step in their country’s economic growth. Becoming an economic superpower is not worth the cost of destroying the environment and endangering over one billion Chinese citizens.

Works Cited

Feinberg, David. "The Dirtiest Place on the Planet." Top Documentary Films RSS. N.p., 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

Fraser, Matthew P. "The Science of Particulate Matter Health Effects." Arizona State Law Journal 43.1 (2011): 725-733. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

Hu, Hui, Qi Yang, and Xi Lu. "Air Pollution and Control in Different Areas of China." Critical In Environmental Science & Technology 40.6 (2010): 453-518. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2013

Jensen, Génon. "Revealed: Coal's Unpaid Health Bill." World Medical Journal 59.2 (2013): 78. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

Ohshita, Stephanie B., and Leonard Ortolano. "Effects of Economic and Environmental Reform on the Diffusion of Cleaner Coal Technology in China." Development & Change 37.1 (2006): 75-98. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.