People have to solve the smog problem Research Paper

People have to solve the smog problem - Research Paper Example China’s own governmental policies designed to keep the problem of pollution within limits have not been very successful and the national target to keep the concentration of particulate matter within limits was never achieved. The environment belongs to each and every one of us and there exists several ways in which citizens of the country help to reduce the problem and lead a better and safer life. Smog is basically photochemical air pollution. Smog has two major components- suspended particular matter and emissions from factories and vehicles. Smog is basically of two kinds- London type and photochemical type. London type of smog occurs mostly in urban and industrialized areas where coal plants and fossil fuels are consumed in huge quantities. Major components in such types of smog includes particulate matter and oxides of sulfur. Another major form is the photochemical smog which a result of reactions in the atmosphere which are initiated by ultraviolet radiations on emissions. Vehicles are the principal contributors to such emissions. Major components of photochemical air pollution includes oxides of nitrogen, ozone and hydrocarbons (Altshuller, 1978). It is not that that the Chinese Government is least bothered about the environment or problems associated with it. The fact is that the government has greater concern for socioeconomic development and has degraded the environment in the race to become a booming economy. Air pollution monitoring have shown that suspended particulate matter in most regions such as Shanghai and Beijing exceed the limits which can be tolerated by the human body. According to air quality index for Shanghai is 137 and for Beijing is 224, both of which are very unhealthy (Air Quality Index in China, 2015). In fact very recently, the air pollution in Beijing was so high that it became impossible to measure it with the normal air quality methodology. China’s energy demands are