Standard Page - 2010-08-20
Coal is the leading culprit of air pollution in China. Coal supplies 80% of the country’s electricity and 70% of its energy – as well as the lion's share of its air pollutants.
Coal is the leading culprit of air pollution in China. Coal supplies 80% of the country's electricity and 70% of its energy – as well as the lion's share of its air pollutants.
China's epic climb to the world's second-largest economy has had devastating health impacts. In 2009, more than five times as many people died from lung cancer as in the 1970s. It is now the most common cancer in China.
Air pollution will remain a serious problem in China as long as coal continues to be the country's major energy source. This black fossil fuel is responsible for 85% of China's sulfur dioxide, 67% of nitrogen oxides and 70% of particulate matter emissions.
Consider these statistics:
- More than 650,000 people die from air pollution-related causes every year, according to a World Health Organization study.
- Mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants can travel more than 1,000km from its emission source.
- The world's highest birth defect rate – 8.4% – is found in the coal mining and processing area of Shanxi province, according to the Earth Policy Institute. Sulphur dioxide, particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, all produced by coal burning, have all been linked to birth defects.
- It's estimated that 70% of the lead and 45% of the arsenic in raw coal will be enriched in coal ash, the solid byproduct of coal combustion. Wind and dust storms can spread coal ash for hundreds of thousands of kilometers.
- A 10-year study of air pollution in Beijing and Shanghai found that coal ash is a main component of China’s spring dust storms, during which levels of arsenic, lead, selenium and sulphur in the air exceed normal by up to 53 times.
Fortunately, the solution to the problem is simple: stop burning coal. Greenpeace is working on reducing China's reliance on coal, in favor of clean, renewable energy. For more on what we are doing, you can visit our section on coal.
Air quality standards
In May 2010, China released its first-ever regional air-quality regulations. These guidelines include stricter air-quality standards and emissions standards for Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. For the first time, the regulations include standards for PM2.5, the most dangerous form of particulate matter, and ozone. It remains to be seen whether the guidelines will be implemented effectively and achieve stronger air quality.
We've compiled a list of real-time updated air pollution tracking sites, micro-blogs and apps for cities across China. They'll help you closely monitor the skies (and know to stay indoors on those 'crazy bad' days).
There's also a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to the air pollution debate in China making it, let's say, a hazy subject to understand. So here are six myths and facts to help clear things up.