China News: Six polluting industries to move out of Beijing (10 April 2014)

Six polluting industries to move out of Beijing

Six heavily polluting industries, all involving manufacturing, will move out of Beijing, said a senior official of the Beijing municipal government during a dialogue with citizens on April 8.

Six heavily polluting industries, all involving manufacturing, will move out of Beijing.

Zhang Boxu, director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Economics and Information Technology, said the six polluting industries involve casting, foundries, electro-forging, brick sintering and waterproofing materials.

Zhang made the remark during a dialogue with citizens as a guest on Beijing Public Service Radio on Tuesday. "But research and development (R&D), design and marketing sections of the industries will not move," he said.

Zhang explained that all links in the production process should be carefully considered, and there are bound to be some differences, for example, R&D, design and marketing sections will be kept in the same place because they have high added value and are comparatively environmentally friendly.

"The manufacturing industry has a high demand for resources and a significant impact on environment, while Beijing is deficient in natural resources," said Zhang. "To adjust the industrial structure in order to meet the requirements of city development, is to take advantages of strengths while avoiding weaknesses."

Zhang said that corresponding policies, laws and regulations will gradually be issued for the adjustment of the industrial structure.

In fact, as air pollution poses an increasingly serious threat to Beijing, the municipal government has issued a series of guidelines over the past two years on how to adjust the industrial structure to meet the demands of the city's development, involving industries of petrochemicals, iron and steel, building materials, machinery, light industry, and nonferrous metals, Zhang said.

Speaking of whether the polluting enterprises will be relocated to areas surrounding Beijing, Zhang said that the enterprises will not be accepted anywhere unless they have reached the required national emission standards by taking effective measures.

Zhang also revealed that the municipal government supports the establishment of an industrial demonstration belt in the surrounding areas of Beijing and Hebei Province in compliance with national environmental standards.

Mr. Li, a worker at Beijing Wanruilang Precise Casting Co. Ltd., said that quite a lot of casting and forging enterprises have closed down or moved out of Beijing over the past few years, and a similar thing has been happening in many parts of the country. "Many enterprises from the six polluting industries have branches outside Beijing," he said.

A worker from the Beijing Foundry and Metal-forming Association agreed with Mr. Li, saying that there were more than 300 casting and forging enterprises in Beijing in 2006 and the number has now dropped to less than 100, with most of them located in suburbs.

Chen Ji, a professor from the Capital University of Economics and Business (CUEB), said the six industries to be moved out the capital city are all traditional industries that have high input, high pollution, high energy consumption and low output.

Professor Chen, who is also director of the China Center for the Research of Industrial Economics at CUEB, said that the enterprises that are getting left behind are medium and small township-owned ones with low added value, and the relocation will help rather than harm their future development.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-04/11/content_32062596.htm

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China News: Smog clouds tourists' appreciation of big cities (11 April 2014)

Smog clouds tourists' appreciation of big cities

The tourist satisfaction index for domestic destinations stood at 72.6 in the first quarter, down five points from the same period last year, according to a report released by the China Tourism Academy, affiliated with the China National Tourism Administration, on Thursday.

A tourist wearing a mask walks amid smog at Tian'anmen Square on Feb. 28, 2013.

The score is the lowest since the academy started the quarterly tourist satisfaction survey during the second quarter of 2009.

The survey is based on a questionnaire, online comments from tourists and complaints in 60 Chinese cities, with a score above 75 meaning "basically satisfactory".

In the first quarter of this year, the smog in many regions affected tourists' decisions and experiences, the report said.

For example, Wikitravel, a free travel guide website, listed Beijing in a watch list on Feb 25, warning tourists not to visit the city. It said Beijing remained cloaked in hazardous white pollution, hiding much of the skyline that day.

Travel agencies also received a score below 70, according to the report. Agencies for hot destinations such as Harbin, Kunming and Sanya received negative comments about high prices, travel schedules and shopping spots.

The tourist satisfaction index for outbound destinations received higher scores. According to the report, the Chinese outbound tourism satisfaction index in the first quarter was 78.9, or "basically satisfactory", and 21 out of 22 sample countries received scores above 75.

Among them, New Zealand received the highest score of 83.4, the report said.

"From the difference of the two scores, we can see that China still needs to promote the country as an international tourism destination," said Li Zhongguang, director of the Institute of Tourism Industry.

Li said a more comprehensive policy from the central government is needed to develop China's tourism industry, and public opinion toward the sector should be monitored.

The academy estimated that in the first quarter, the number of outbound tourists was 26.4 million, an increase of 17 percent from the same period last year. The total spending of those outbound tourists was $34 billion, a rise of 16 percent compared to the same period last year.

However, the number of inbound tourists continues to drop. In the first quarter, the number was estimated at 31 million, a drop of 3 percent from last year.

The report said that revenue from inbound tourism in the quarter was estimated at $11 billion, a drop of 3 percent from the same period in 2013.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-04/11/content_32061882.htm

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Hong Kong News: Vessel fuel regulation approved (19 March 2014)

Vessel fuel regulation approved

March 19, 2014

Secretary for the Environment KS Wong says he is pleased to see the Air Pollution Control (Marine Light Diesel) Regulation has been approved, which will help improve air quality.

The regulation, which comes into effect on April 1, will require locally supplied marine light diesel vessels to have a 0.05% sulphur limit, a 90% reduction from the current requirement.

Vessels using fuel under the new requirement will emit 90% less sulphur dioxide and 30% less respirable suspended particulates, Mr Wong said, reducing the marine sector’s sulphur dioxide and respirable suspended particulates emissions by 10% and 4%.

“This will help improve the ambient air quality and reduce health risks for the population, especially those in the coastal areas," he added.


source from: http://www.news.gov.hk/en/categories/environment/html/2014/03/20140319_190236.shtml

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China News: N. China sees heaviest smog in February (18 Macrh 2014)

N. China sees heaviest smog in February

Xinhua, March 18, 2014

Air pollution in the Chinese capital of Beijing and neighboring Tianjin and Hebei was heavier than in other parts of the country in February, the environmental watchdog announced on Tuesday.

Vehicles move slowly amid heavy smog in Beijing on Feb. 23, 2014. [Photo/CNS]

In the 13 monitored cities in the region, an average of 68.5 percent of the days in February failed to meet the standards set by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

The 74 major Chinese cities monitored nationwide had on average nearly 40 percent of the days in February failing to meet ministry standards, according to the report.

The 10 cities with the most serious problem last month were Xingtai, Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Tangshan, Handan, Xi'an, Langfang, Hengshui, Jinan and Beijing -- seven of which are located in north China's Hebei Province.

The ministry said that PM2.5 -- airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter -- was the major pollutant on nearly 92 percent of the polluted days.

East China's Yangtze River Delta and South China's Pearl River Delta had more clear days than other parts of the country, with 68.6 percent and 91.6 percent meeting the standard respectively in February.

The frequent occurrence of smoggy days since last year has prompted authorities to take serious action in tackling air pollution as it has become a main source of complaints and frustration among urban residents.

To address public concerns, the Chinese government aims to cut the density of inhalable particulate matter by at least 10 percent in major cities by 2017.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-03/18/content_31822745.htm

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China News: China vows to fight pollution in cities (18 Macrh 2014)

China vows to fight pollution in cities

Shanghai Daily, March 18, 2014

The government has promised to make sure that 60 percent of Chinese cities meet national pollution standards by 2020.

The pledge was made amid growing pressure to make cities livable as hundreds of millions of migrants are set to relocate from the countryside.

The government has promised to make sure that 60 percent of Chinese cities meet national pollution standards by 2020.

China's environmental problems, including pollution and water scarcity, are expected to intensify as rapid migration pushes urban infrastructures to their limit.

Almost all cities monitored for pollution last year failed to meet the standards.

The environment has emerged as a key priority following growing public disquiet about smog, dwindling and polluted water supplies, and the contamination of farmland. Poor air quality is estimated to end hundreds of thousands of lives prematurely each year.

The vow to clean up the major metropolitan centers was made in a State Council plan released on Sunday for dealing with the rapid urbanization drive.

"We will improve and promote green, sustainable and low carbon development in the urbanization process, enforcing the strictest measures on ecological and environmental systems," the plan said.

According to the State Council, 60 percent of the cities will meet national air quality standards in 2020, which it said was up from 40 percent in 2012.

But at the parliamentary session earlier this month, officials said that just three of 74 major cities met the pollution standards in 2013. Policies to meet the new target include boosting renewable energy use, curbing emission-intensive industries and taking heavy-polluting vehicles off the roads.

The government will set up a tiered pricing system for electricity, natural gas and water to control consumption of scarce natural resources. It also plans to roll out trading systems for carbon and air pollutant emissions, energy-saving certificates and water to provide economic incentives to reduce waste.

Beijing has already picked seven regions to launch pilot carbon trading schemes with the aim of setting up a national market to cut emissions per unit of GDP by 40-45 percent from 2005 levels by 2020.

Guangdong Province and the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Tianjin have already launched emissions trading scheme.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-03/18/content_31818808.htm

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World News: Africa to spew half of world's particle pollution by 2030: Study (12 Mach 2014)

Africa to spew half of world's particle pollution by 2030: Study

The UN's health body estimates more than two million people die every year from breathing in tiny particles in indoor and outdoor air pollution.

PARIS: With its exploding urban population burning ever more coal and wood, Africa could contribute as much as 55 percent of the world's particle pollutants by 2030, a study said on Tuesday.

In 2005, the continent's global share of these atmospheric pollutants ranged from a five percent for sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide to 20 per cent for organic carbon, according to the findings published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

It was about 10 per cent each for black carbon, carbon monoxide, and non-methane hydrocarbons.

"A considerable increase in emissions from Africa is ... expected in 2030 if no regulations are implemented," wrote the study authors from France and the Ivory Coast.

The particles are released in burning petrol and diesel for car and motorcycle combustion, and coal, fuel wood, charcoal and animal waste incinerated for heating and cooking.

The study said Africa could represent 40 per cent of the world population by 2100 and its urban population could double from 2000 to 2030 — along with rapid growth in mining, oil and industrial activities.

"In western and eastern Africa, action on biofuels would be the most efficient way to decrease domestic emissions ... not to mention the decrease in the use of two-wheeled vehicles," the authors wrote.

"In southern Africa, action on coal would be the most efficient way to decrease industrial and power plant emissions."

These tiny particles can cause asthma and allergies, respiratory and cardiovascular ailments and the smallest among them, which can enter the bloodstream and lungs, have been classified as cancer-causing by the World Health Organisation ( WHO).

The UN's health body estimates more than two million people die every year from breathing in tiny particles in indoor and outdoor air pollution.


source from: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/Africa-to-spew-half-of-worlds-particle-pollution-by-2030-Study/articleshow/31889472.cms

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Taiwan News: 臺美環保合作21年 展望未來 共同開創區域永續繁榮的契機 (12 March 2014)

臺美環保合作21年 展望未來 共同開創區域永續繁榮的契機

美國商會昨（3月11）日於君悅大飯店凱悅廳舉辦謝年飯，馬總統及行政院環保署新任魏國彥署長均應邀與會，美國在台協會副處長酈英傑（Brent Christensen）於會中致詞時，表示去年美國環保署與臺灣環保署為雙方合作20週年，舉辦慶祝活動，在過去20年中，臺灣由環保資訊的接收者成為領導者，在環保議題上做出建設性和負責任的貢獻，因此特別讚賞臺灣在環保政策實踐及對國際社會做出建設性的貢獻。

        環保署魏國彥署長表示，美國在台協會及美國環保署過去20多年來，透過190多項合作計畫，無私地分享環境監測、資訊系統、土壤、空氣、水各項領域風險管理及環境執法的技能，有效的提升我國各階層環境治理的能力，很多成功的技術移轉，值得分享給其他鄰近的新興國家。過去3年多來，已有18個國家分享我國環保治理的經驗及技術，且在土壤及地下水污染整治、環境資訊、汞監測、電子廢棄物回收與管理等議題上，分別建立了工作小組或全球網路，這些不僅可以協助提昇鄰近新興國家的環境保護，對於保護國人的健康也是非常重要的工作，尤其是跨境污染物的傳輸—除了空氣污染物及廢棄物會跨國傳輸外，很多土壤及水質等屬於地域性的污染物，也會經由農林漁牧等產品的國際貿易，影響到國人的健康；這些問題，惟有透過區域及國際的共同合作與努力，才能真正達到保護人體與環境健康的目的。

        環保署魏國彥署長表示，環保署未來將在既有雙邊合作的基礎及雙方環保的政策重點上，與美國在台協會、美國環保署及國內其他部會，擴大合作的廣度及深度，讓國人在環保付出的心血及成效，讓世人看得見，並以專案的方式結合區域各國夥伴，極推動各項環保治理之政策及技術交流，以積極落實馬總統永續環境及友善國際的政策目標。


source from: http://ivy5.epa.gov.tw/enews/fact_Newsdetail.asp?InputTime=1030312185335

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China News: China declares war on pollution with $35 billion fund (5 March 2014)

China declares war on pollution with $35 billion fund

BEIJING: China on Wednesday declared a war against chronic pollution choking the booming nation, allocating about $35 billion for environmental protection this year to combat toxic smog that frequently engulfs Chinese cities.

The government will take strong measures to prevent and control pollution with the focus on mega cities and regions with frequent occurrence of smog, Premier Li Keqiang said in his first government work report at the annual session China's legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC) today.

Hazardous smog, several times dangerous than that of limits fixed by WHO continues to engulf capital Beijing and a host of top Chinese cities for the best part of the year raising concerns of pulmonary infections including lung cancers among public.

Li allocated 210.909 billion yuan ($35 billion) for energy conservation and environmental protection this year, a 7.1 per cent increase compared to last year.

The government will start by reducing PM10 and PM2.5 emissions, and focus on improving the industrial structure, raising energy efficiency, reducing vehicle exhaust emissions, and preventing and monitoring wind-borne dust, Li said.

Miao Xuegang, NPC deputy and head of environmental protection department of east China's Anhui Province, said Li's declaration is "a letter of commitment from the government".

A total of 50,000 small coal-fired furnaces will be shut down this year and cleaning technologies, including desulphurisation, denitrification and dust removal, will be introduced at coal-burning power plants, Li's report said.

Six million old high-emission vehicles will be removed from the roads, and diesel fuel for vehicles that meets fourth-stage national standards will be provided nationwide this year, Li said.

The government will also implement the clean water action plan, strengthen the protection of sources of drinking water, prevent and control water pollution in key river basins, and carry out land restoration.

Smog is affecting larger parts of China and environmental pollution has become a major problem, which is nature's red-light warning against the model of inefficient and blind development, Li said.

Ai Nanshan, a professor at Sichuan University in southwest China's Chengdu city, said the government shoulders a major responsibility in dealing with pollution.

"You cannot get a beautiful GDP figure at the cost of environment," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Ai, a researcher of environment studies as saying.

Local officials would have no desire to tackle pollution if gross domestic product (GDP) remained a solely important element in the evaluation of their performance, Ai said.

Zhang Wenxin, deputy head of Xinbin county of northeast China's Liaoning Province, said an effective official assessment mechanism should be established to encourage local officials to put more efforts in environmental protection.


source from: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/China-declares-war-on-pollution-with-35-billion-fund/articleshow/31468656.cms

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Taiwan Nerws: 環保署修正特殊性工業區緩衝地帶及空氣品質監測設施設置標準 (05 March 2014)

環保署修正特殊性工業區緩衝地帶及空氣品質監測設施設置標準

提供單位：行政院環境保護署空保處 發布日期：2014.03.05 為使特殊性工業區空氣品質監測管制內容更為完備，環保署修正「特殊性工業區緩衝地帶及空氣品質監測設施設置標準」(以下簡稱本標準)，主要修正內容包括為符合空氣污染防制法第15條透過要求設置緩衝地帶及空氣品質監測設施，降低特殊性工業區開發行為排放空氣污染物對於環境空氣品質及民眾健康影響之立法原意，及確保特殊性工業區開發單位辦理之緩衝地帶及空氣品質監測設置事宜符合本標準規定，要求開發單位於開發特殊性工業區前，應提出緩衝地帶及空氣品質監測設施設置計畫，報請直轄市、縣(市)主管機關審查通過，始得開發；増訂主管機關審查設置計畫程序及時程限制，以提升行政效能，完備法制作業；修正101年9月22日(含)前已開發特殊性工業區實施期程，給予合理時間因應新標準大幅增加之空氣品質監測站數量、監測項目及監測頻率；強化監測紀錄保管責任，將紀錄保存期限由三年延長為五年，俾利主管機關查核；同時增訂空氣品質監測站位於不同直轄市、縣(市)之空氣品質監測數據連線及人工操作監測數據申報規定，以達管制目的。         特殊性工業區排放之空氣污染物可能具有成分複雜或排放量大等特性，為降低民眾對於健康風險及環境影響疑慮，空氣品質監測確有必要，環保署呼籲開發單位應善盡環境保護義務，確實依本標準規定辦理空氣品質監測事宜。 source from: http://ivy5.epa.gov.tw/enews/fact_Newsdetail.asp?InputTime=1030305142201

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China News: Drawing up a new blueprint (8 March 2014)

Drawing up a new blueprint

Traffic on Beijing's East Third Ring Road on a particularly hazy day on February 22 [Photo:Luo Xiaoguang]

Choking smog lingered, covering an area of 1.43 million square km in central and east China, an area more than twice the size of France, for a whole week starting from February 20.

Beijing and part of the neighboring Hebei Province suffered most. On February 25, readings of PM 2.5, fine particulate matter 2.5 microns or less in diameter, in different parts of Beijing exceeded 300 micrograms per cubic meter, 12 times the level deemed safe by the World Health Organization.

In the country's capital city, break time exercise for students was moved from playgrounds into classrooms, and hospitals battled a surge of patients experiencing respiratory problems, including some with emphysema and asthma.

In response, Beijing and several other severely affected cities activated their emergency anti-smog action plans, which led to the shutdown or suspension of operations by polluting enterprises, halt of construction work, and limits of the number of vehicles on the roads.

According to a study jointly conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the China Meteorological Administration, during the first 10 months of 2013, China as a whole experienced an average of 29.9 days of hazy weather, the longest since national meteorological records began. The report, which was issued in November 2013, also identified a considerable increase of smoggy days in eastern areas of the country, particularly the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta.

Under these circumstances, it is no wonder that "fighting pollution" has topped the agenda in most provincial-level governments' work plans for 2014, which were adopted by local people's congresses at their annual sessions in January and early February.

Fighting the smog

Pressured by a torrent of public complaints about the health hazards brought by air pollution, many local governments have prioritized measures to reduce smog in their work reports to local people's congress sessions this year. Out of the 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions on the Chinese mainland, a total of 29 mentioned curbing air population and 15 mentioned reducing hazy weather and monitoring PM2.5. In 2013, only eight provinces and municipalities mentioned hazy weather and PM2.5 in their government work reports.

Beijing has vowed to cut coal consumption by 2.6 million tons and close down 300 polluting companies throughout 2014. Shanghai proposed the setting up of a joint mechanism for fighting air pollution together with other provinces on the Yangtze River Delta. The approach of combined regional efforts against air pollution also appeared in the work reports of the provincial governments of Guangdong, Hebei, Shanxi and Sichuan.

In the monthly air-quality ranking of over 74 major cities in China compiled by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, cities from Hebei stubbornly occupied at least half of the top 10 positions for the worst air throughout 2013. Hebei produces more than a quarter of the steel made in China. In October 2013, the State Council announced that it would cut out 80 million tons of the national steel production capacity within five years so as to curb pollution, and 60 million tons are put out by Hebei.

In order to cope with air pollution, the Hebei Provincial Government has imposed a strict ban on the production of steel, concrete and glass. "An increase of even 1 ton of production capacity in these industries necessitates the immediate removal of local government and Party chiefs from their positions," reads one government work report.

Efforts by local governments to tackle smoggy weather are expected to have a positive economic effect. Sun Junwei, an HSBC macro-economic analyst based in Beijing, told Economic Information Daily that hazy weather is deeply rooted in the extensive growth mode, while cleaning up the environment equals more input in technological upgrading and new manufacturing equipment that boasts energy conservation and low emissions.

Zheng Xinli, Executive Vice Chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, believes the investment in the environmental protection industry could also create new job opportunities and become a new engine of economic growth.

Fine-tuning growth engines

As revealed by their annual development goals, of all the 31 provincial-level regions, Guangdong stands out as the only one to increase its projected GDP growth rate for 2014. The province, known as China's export-oriented manufacturing hub, bumped up its projected growth rate to 8.5 percent from its goal of 8 percent for 2013. However, the coastal province had lowered the growth forecast in its government work report for both 2012 and 2013.

Other provincial governments either favor maintaining their current rate of growth or have made projections for an economic slowdown. The most pessimistic is the province of Jilin in northeast China, whose provincial government is aiming for a GDP growth rate of 8 percent in 2014, a sharp drop compared to its12-percent goal for 2013.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-03/06/content_31695943.htm

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Singapore News: Singapore's air quality worsens (7 March 2014)

Singapore's air quality worsens

Singapore's air quality worsened Friday, with the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) crossing into the moderate range. The three-hour PSI reading was 54 at 6 p.m. and 64 at 7 p.m.

Singapore National Environment Agency (NEA) said the hazy conditions experienced since late Friday afternoon could be due to hot spots to the north of Singapore, adding that a total of four hot spots were detected in Peninsular Malaysia while 35 hot spots were spotted in Sumatra.

It said the hazy conditions are expected to persist overnight.

On Thursday, NEA said that an expected change in the monsoons in the later part of this month may pose some risk of transboundary haze.

The agency said in a statement that with the expected transition from the Northeast Monsoon to the inter-monsoon period, winds in the region will turn light and variable in direction, and will pose "some risk" of transboundary haze should hot spots in Sumatra persist and the prevailing winds in our region temporarily turn westerly.

NEA added that prolonged dry weather affecting parts of the region has resulted in an escalation of hot spot activities, although the hot spot count has been low due to cloud cover and partial satellite coverage.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-03/07/content_31715375.htm

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China News: Beijing gov't criticized for ongoing smog (17 Feb 2014)

Beijing gov't criticized for ongoing smog

Xinhua, February 17, 2014

Heavy smog in Beijing lasting for days has triggered public criticism over the municipal government's inaction.

At 8 p.m. Sunday, the air quality index (AQI) at monitoring stations in the city's downtown areas read between 342 and 414 and was rated at Level 6, the highest level, indicating hazardous pollution, according to the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center's website.

Heavy smog shrouds Beijing on Feb. 14.

The business channel of the China Central Television (CCTV) late on Saturday questioned why the government failed to initiate an emergency response under such smoggy weather.

"Beijing municipal government, don't pretend to be blind in the fog," the channel said via its account on the Twitter-like Weibo.com. "The government should not shun its responsibility or turn a blind eye to the smog."

The channel tweeted twice on the matter in five minutes, and the post had been forwarded by netizens thousands of times as of Sunday morning.

Beijing is not the only region facing the suffocating air on Sunday. The National Meteorological Center issued a yellow alert at 6 a.m. Sunday, forecasting medium to serious haze in Beijing and nearby Tianjin Municipality and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. It said smog would last until late Sunday, when a fresh wave of rain and snow would hit most of the country.

QUESTIONS OVER GOV'T INACTION

The Beijing municipal government approved and put into effect an emergency response system last October. The system requires that traffic be cut with alternate driving days for even- and odd-numbered license plates and schools suspended if a red alert, the highest level for air pollution, is issued. Industrial plants will be closed or told to reduce production and fireworks will be banned if an orange alert, the second-highest alert, is issued.

However, the government has not initiated the emergency response once since the program came into effect on Oct. 22, 2013, although the public has on several occasions complained of smog heavy enough to warrant a government response.

The government issued a blue alert for air pollution late on Saturday.

The city has a four-tier alert system, using blue, yellow, orange and red to indicate the air pollution level in order of increasing severity.

A red alert indicates the most serious air pollution, or Level 6 pollution, for three consecutive days. An orange alert indicates heavy to serious air pollution, or Level 5 to Level 6, alternately for three consecutive days.

The latest round of smog started on Friday, which marked both the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival and Valentine's Day. Holiday fireworks brought the air quality index (AQI) from more than 300 in the morning to 500 in the evening.

Residents questioned the lack of government action over the matter, believing authorities should have banned fireworks.

Wang Yuesi, a researcher with the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said orange and red alerts required action by the public, such as cutting traffic, and government authorities were reluctant to issue the response as smog for three consecutive days is difficult to forecast accurately.

"Environmental authorities lacked preparation in responding to smog for both technical reasons and management reasons. All they hope is that continuous smoggy days like this never come," Wang said.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-02/17/content_31492710.htm

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China News: Joint effort to fight Delta pollution (8 Jan 2014)

Joint effort to fight Delta pollution

Shanghai Daily, January 8, 2014

A coordinated effort to fight air pollution over the Yangtze River Delta was launched in Shanghai yesterday.

As per the agreement, Shanghai and the three neighboring provinces — Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui — will share information and take joint action to fight air pollution in the region.

Buildings are seen amid heavy smog in Shanghai's Lujiazui financial district on Dec. 2, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

Shanghai will have to reduce the main air pollutants, essentially PM2.5, by 20 percent, a target set by the Ministry of Environmental Protection yesterday with local governments handed the charge to set a time frame for its implementation.

In the joint action, Shanghai and neighboring cities will keep each other updated about regional air quality condition and cooperate in scientific researches on air pollution. They will also try to achieve a unified standard over energy conservation and emission cuts.

Restriction over coal consumption was listed as one of the main tasks in the fight against air pollution in the delta area. Cities and provinces were urged to push for a more environmentally friendly energy supply structure.

Other tasks include the rectification of high-pollution enterprises, elimination of high-emission vehicles and upgrading oil products, as well as to strict control over dust emission and burning of straw.

The delta region shall also work on a unified air pollution warning system and act jointly once the warnings are issued.

Shanghai enjoyed its first day of perfect air condition on Monday after consecutive hazy and polluted days.

Only eight days out of 31 days last month had air quality that were good or perfect.

It was one of most polluted winter the city has seen. In each of the previous four Decembers, air quality was good or excellent for at least 20 days.

Ministry sets targets

The ministry yesterday gave China's 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions the targets to reduce main air pollutants, essentially PM2.5, by 5 to 25 percent, Xinhua news agency reported.

Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong and Shanxi will have to cut the indices by 20 percent, followed by 15 percent for Guangdong and Chongqing and 10 percent for Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Eleven provinces were given PM2.5-reducing tasks, including an annual 25 percent decrease — the highest — for Beijing and neighboring Tianjin municipality and Hebei Province, according to a liability paper signed by the regions and the environment ministry.

Other regions were ordered to cut their PM10 readings by 5 to 15 percent.

The State Council is mulling a system to evaluate each provincial-level government's progress.

Those failing to reach their goals will have to provide explanations and make corrections.

resource from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-01/08/content_31121063.htm

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China News: Joint effort to fight Delta pollution (8 jan 2014)

China imposes air quality targets

Xinhua, January 8, 2014

China's 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have been set targets to reduce main air pollutants by 5 to 25 percent, in the country's latest effort to combat pollution.

Heavy smog engulfs Beijing on Dec. 24, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

Among the provincial-level regions, eleven were given PM2.5-reducing tasks, including an annual 25 percent decrease, the highest, for Beijing and neighboring Tianjin municipality and Hebei Province, according to a liability paper signed Tuesday by the regions and the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong and Shanxi will have to cut the indices by 20 percent, followed by 15 percent for Guangdong and Chongqing and 10 percent for Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The other regions were ordered to cut their PM10 readings by 5 to 15 percent, with only Hainan and Yunnan provinces and Tibet Autonomous Region, where air pollution is relatively slight, given no specific goals but "continuous improvements" must be made.

PM2.5 refers to airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 microns while PM10 gauges particulate matter under 10 micrometers. Both are main air pollution indicators.

The paper also urged regions to take various measures such as reducing the use of coal, eliminating outdated industrial capacity as well as better management and control of heating boilers, vehicles and dust.

Local governments have been ordered to map out detailed plans to ensure the implementation of various anti-pollution methods and lay down specific goals for each year.

Meanwhile, the State Council, or China's Cabinet, is mulling a system to evaluate each provincial-level government's progress, and those failing to reach their goals will be named and shamed. They will have to provide explanations and make corrections.

Despite a wide spectrum of measures including severer punishment for industrial polluters and the auction and lottery of car license plates, a government report revealed last month that progress was lagging in four environmental targets, including carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption.

In the relatively more polluted northern area, Beijing reported 58 days of heavy air pollution last year, or roughly one heavy pollution day in every six.

http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-01/08/content_31121193.htm

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Hong Kong News: Converter replacement subsidy extended (2 Jan 2013)

Converter replacement subsidy extended

January 02, 2014

Late applications for a subsidy to replace catalytic converters and oxygen sensors of petrol and liquefied petroleum gas taxis and minibuses will be accepted from today until January 17.

The Environmental Protection Department said there will be no further extension of the application period.

The special arrangement was made because after phase one and phase two applications closed, some vehicle owners said they missed the application deadlines and would like to make submissions for the subsidy.

The department received 16,202 applications under the programme's two phases, accounting for 74% of all eligible vehicles. The replacement of parts for phase one ended on December 31. The replacement of parts for phase two is taking place from January to March.

sourec from: http://www.news.gov.hk/en/categories/environment/html/2014/01/20140102_173900.shtml

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China News: Shanghai among top 50 cities with China's worst air (13 Jan 2014)

Shanghai among top 50 cities with China's worst air

Shanghai Daily, January 13, 2014

Shanghai ranks 48th among the 74 Chinese cities that adopted a new national air quality monitoring system last year, with the city's annual PM2.5 density nearly double the national standard, according to a survey released yesterday.

Dense smog shrouds Shanghai on Jan. 16, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

Beijing came 13th in the list of cities with the worst air.

Shanghai's annual average PM2.5 density was 60.7 micrograms per square meter last year, compared to the national standard of 35, environmental organization Greenpeace reported.

PM2.5 refers to airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter that are the cause of urban smog and hazardous to health.

Greenpeace said that, in December, Shanghai's PM2.5 density peaked at 421 micrograms per square meter, five times the daily standard of 75.

The Greenpeace report was based on data from China's Environmental Protection Ministry website as well as environmental protection bureaus in the 74 cities.

The Yangtze River Delta region has seen increasingly severe air pollution in recent years that has affected the air quality in Shanghai.

Ten cities among 13 monitoring data in Shanghai's neighboring province to the north, Jiangsu, recorded double the national annual standard for PM2.5, while nearly all the cities in Zhejiang Province, to Shanghai's south, exceeded the standard.

In December, when the PM2.5 reading was at its peak in Shanghai, it was four times the standard in Zhejiang's capital of Hangzhou and Jiangsu's Nanjing, according to the Greenpeace.

"Some 20 percent of the PM2.5 pollution in Shanghai is from other provinces," said Zhang Quan, Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau director.

Vehicle and factory emissions accounted for 50 percent of the city's pollution, followed by dust from construction sites (10.5 percent), power stations (7.3 percent) and straw burning (10 percent).

resource from : http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-01/13/content_31166987.htm

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China News: North winds to drive up pollution in Shanghai (12 Dec 2013)

North winds to drive up pollution in Shanghai

Shanghai Daily, December 12, 2013

Pollutants brought by northwest winds and unfavorable conditions mean the city will experience slightly to moderately polluted day today but rain is also forecast for Sunday.

Two foreigners walk in the winter sun in downtown Shanghai yesterday. Pollutants brought by northwest winds and unfavorable conditions will make the city slightly to moderately polluted today but rain is forecast for Sunday.

The Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center has predicted a moderately polluted air quality this morning with the air quality index hovering between 155 and 175.

In the afternoon, the index is expected to drop slightly to 120 and 140, indicating a lightly polluted air quality. The major pollutant will be PM2.5.

Yesterday was slightly polluted with the index standing at 148 at 6pm, with the density of tiny PM2.5 particles at 70.8 micrograms per cubic meter.

Light haze is also forecasted for morning today.

"Haze is quite common in winter," said Wu Rui, a chief service officer of the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.

Man Liping, another chief service officer at the bureau, said the haze is caused by pollutants brought by the northwestern winds under the influence of a weak cold front, leading to a drop in the visibility.

The temperature should rise slightly to 12 degrees Celsius with strong cloud cover. But it could be as low as 3 degrees in the morning, Man said.

The temperature will be stable the following two days with mostly cloudy and sunny skies. But rains — long absent from the city — are predicted for Sunday and Monday.

The warm and wet air from southwest kept the city dry for a while, leading to nearly 80 percent drop in rains in November compared to the same periods in previous years. The mercury should drop as well.

Rain is forecasted for both Sunday and Monday with temperatures dropping to a low of 6 degrees and high of 10.

But the forecasters weren't willing to guess if the much-delayed arrival of rain will drive away the pollutants.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2013-12/12/content_30873337.htm

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Indian News: Breathless? Blame it on temperature, trapped pollutants (12 Dec 2013)

Breathless? Blame it on temperature, trapped pollutants

Neha Madaan,TNN | Dec 12, 2013, 03.56 AM IST
PUNE: People living in Hadapsar, Katraj, Bhosariand Shivajinagar may be more susceptible to respiratory infections such as asthma and chronic bronchitis because the chill the city is currently experiencing has pushed air pollution levels to a new high in these places.

The city continued to shiver with the minimum temperature at 7.4 degrees celsius on Tuesday. The levels of particulate matter less than or equal to 10 micrometer (PM10) has crossed the maximum permissible limits by more than 100% in Hadapsar, Katraj, Bhosari, Shivajinagar.

Data from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) shows that on December 10, air quality of Pune had reached 'very low' levels, with some stations recording PM10 levels beyond 200 ug/m3. The maximum permissible limit is 100 ug/m3.

There was a marked difference in the air quality which remained good to moderate on November 30 and on December 10. The minimum temperature on November 30 was close to 22 degrees Celsius and only Shivajinagar, Alandi and Hadapsar recorded PM10 levels a little above the permissible limits.

On December 10, all locations--Pashan, Shivajinagar, airport area, Hadapsar, Alandi, Katraj, Bhosari, Nigdi and Manjari had PM10 levels hitting the roof, ranging from 103 ug/m3 to 221 ug/m3.

The minimum temperature on December 10 was considerably lower, with the city experiencing around 9 degrees celsius as per IITM data. "Hence, the increase in pollution levels," said Gufran Beig, IITM chief scientist and project director of System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

As the temperature drops, the boundary layer or the cape of the surface or the upper boundary of the local environment reduces in height. "It is this boundary layer which traps the pollutants emitted from the surface and near the surface, preventing them from mixing upward and diluting into the atmosphere. On November 30, the boundary layer was 1.5 km. However, within 10 days, from November 30 to December 10, the minimum temperature has gone down to around 9 degrees celsius and the boundary layer has reduced to around 700 meters," said Beig.

Though the same amount of man-made pollutants are being emitted in Pune in winter, weather conditions and cooling have brought the boundary layer down, confining the pollutants to this limited envelope. Air pollution levels have thus been ranging from moderate to very poor in Pune, Beig added.

On December 7, the minimum temperature was between 12 to 13 degrees celsius and PM 10 levels crossed the 100 ug/m3 mark in all areas, shooting to 156 ug/m3 in Shivajinagar, and 168 ug/m3 in Hadapsar.

When the minimum temperature in the city was around 10 degrees celsius on December 8, PM10 levels in Shivajinagar were close to 160 ug/m3, while PM 2.5 here was around 90 ug/m3, which means 'poor' air quality, said Beig. The maximum permissible limit for PM 2.5 is 60 ug/m3.

On December 9, with Pune's temperature falling to around 9 degrees celsius, most polluted areas were Katraj (with PM10 levels close to 163 ug/m3, and PM 2.5 levels around 96 ug/m3), Hadapsar (with PM10 levels close to 220 ug/m3, and PM2.5 levels around 98 ug/m3) and Bhosari (with PM10 levels close to 161 ug/m3).

Forecast of pollution levels by IITM scientists, using the SAFAR model, revealed that the current levels of PM10 and PM2.5 are likely to remain almost at the same level for the next two-three days with temperature dropping further.

The term Particulate Matter (PM) includes both solid particles and liquid droplets found in air. Many man-made and natural sources emit PM emissions directly or emit other pollutants that react in the atmosphere to form PM. These solid and liquid particles come in a wide range of sizes.

PM has two sets of cautionary statements, which correspond to the two sizes of PM that are measured:

Particles up to 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM 2.5)

Particles up to 10 micrometers in diameter (PM 10)

Health Effects:

Health effects have been associated with exposures to PM over both short (such as a day) and longer periods (a year or more).

When exposed to even small levels of PM, people with existing heart or lung diseases-such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart disease, or ischemic heart disease-are at increased risk of premature death and or admission to hospitals or emergency rooms.

The elderly are very sensitive to PM exposure. They are at increased risk of admission to hospitals or emergency rooms and premature death from heart or lung diseases.

Children and people with existing lung disease may not be able to breathe as deeply or vigorously as they normally would, and they may experience symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath when exposed to levels of PM.

PM can increase the susceptibility to respiratory infections and can aggravate existing respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic bronchitis, causing more use of medication and more doctor visits.

(source: SAFAR Pune website)

source from: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/Breathless-Blame-it-on-temperature-trapped-pollutants/articleshow/27232191.cms

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China News: Zhejiang's choking days rise by 20 times (12 Dec 2013)

Zhejiang's choking days rise by 20 times

Xinhua, December 12, 2013

Zhejiang Province, an economic powerhouse in the Yangtze River Delta, now has over 20 times the number of hazy days as it did 50 years ago, a research report has revealed.

Zhejiang Province, an economic powerhouse in the Yangtze River Delta, now has over 20 times the number of hazy days as it did 50 years ago.

The average number of hazy days in Zhejiang from the 1960s to the early 1990s was around seven. The figure rose to almost 200 after the millennium, said a report on the province's hazy weather.

Vehicle exhaust and industrial fume are blamed as the biggest causes, said the report by the Environmental Science Research and Design Institute of Zhejiang Province, which is in east China.

A project team collected and analyzed data from the provincial and local environmental and meteorological departments covering the past half a century.

Heavy smog shrouded north and east China on Saturday, with highways closed and flights delayed or canceled.

Cities in Zhejiang and its neighboring Shanghai municipality have been enveloped in grey sky for several days. Many pedestrians have been wearing masks.

The coastal province is known for its prosperous local economy. Private enterprises took off in the 1980s when China started with its market economic reforms.

But along with industrialization has come more smog.

Zhejiang's capital city Hangzhou and other industrial cities, such as Wenzhou and Huzhou, had on average over 40 hazy days annually before 2000.

"The number of hazy days showed an explosive growth after 2000," said Jin Jun, the team leader of the project and the deputy director with the institute.

"Some major cities in Zhejiang have seen an annual average number of 150 hazy days. In some cases about 200 hazy days -- about 30 times the number before reform and opening at the end of the 1970s," said Jin.

Vehicle exhaust is the primary cause of the increasing smog in downtown areas, the report said.

Though the report is based on Zhejiang, it is representative of the country. The main components of the haze are vehicle emissions and industrial sewage which are formed by dust, sulfuric acid and vitriolic acid, said Jin.

Diesel vehicles are the "prime culprit" that cause emissions of PM 2.5, a key indicator of air pollution. Oxynitride which is released from gasoline vehicles easily become particle pollutants, which also worsens air quality, said the report.

"Zhejiang used about seven million tonnes of gasoline and nine million tonnes of diesel last year, which makes the province the second largest consumer of these two fuels nationwide," said Wu Jian, a senior engineer with the institute.

At the end of June, Zhejiang had 13.38 million registered vehicles, and about 8.39 million were gasoline cars.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2013-12/12/content_30874035.htm

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