Los Angeles Times (July 8)Los Angeles Times (July 8)
“Life expectancy is 5.5 years lower in northern China than in the south because of heavy air pollution, a study examining 20 years of data concludes…. The specificity of the study published Monday may provide a jolt to policymakers and the public as debate intensifies over how much China has sacrificed to achieve rapid economic growth.” Due to a tradition of coal burning, suspended particulate matter north of the Huai River was on average 55% higher than in the south, lowering life expectancy for those in the north where the researches estimate that in the 1990s alone, the half billion residents “collectively lost 2.5 billion years from their lives.”“Life expectancy is 5.5 years lower in northern China than in the south because of heavy air pollution, a study examining 20 years of data concludes…. The specificity of the study published Monday may provide a jolt to policymakers and the public as debate intensifies over how much China has sacrificed to achieve rapid economic growth.” Due to a tradition of coal burning, suspended particulate matter north of the Huai River was on average 55% higher than in the south, lowering life expectancy for those in the north where the researches estimate that in the 1990s alone, the half billion residents “collectively lost 2.5 billion years from their lives.”
Tags: China, Coal burning, Economic growth, Huai River, Life expectancy, Particulate matter, Policymakers, Pollution, Sacrificed
New York Times (January 13)
Beijing’s notorious air pollution hit a new low on Saturday. First the background. The Air Quality Index of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranges from 0-500, with levels between 301 to 500 considered hazardous for all outdoor activity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a score of 500 indicates over 20 times the safe level of particulate matter. Beijing’s new record in dirty air left some speechless. “What phrase is appropriate to describe Saturday’s jaw-dropping reading of 755 at 8 p.m., when all of Beijing looked like an airport smokers’ lounge?”
Tags: Air pollution, Air Quality Index, Beijing, EPA, Hazardous, Particulate matter, WHO
