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Abstract
Environmental pollution is a major concern in most industrialized nations. While a number of green energy solutions are already in place, it is apparent that heavy emitters of environmental pollutants still face the challenge of cutting down emission quarters. Proactive and pragmatic measures are necessary in order to curb environmental degradation through pollution. For instance, a case study of the current pollution levels in China reveals that the country is struggling with the management of hazy weather.
Some environmental pressure groups are calling for a total environmental revolution in China owing to the negative impacts of hazy weather. Green energy solutions come in handy in the management of air pollution in China. Nonetheless, active public participation in the improvement of air quality is also possible. For instance, encouraging individuals to embrace public transport has the potential to cut down toxic gaseous emissions from vehicles. Besides, policy formulation and enforcement should be the epitome of mitigation measures against urban pollution in China.
China needs environmental revolution
Air pollution is a growing challenge in modern China. The characteristic hazy weather can be managed by adopting a number of environmental conservation measures. While the government is keen in instituting strict measures to alleviate air pollution, a participatory approach is necessary. What solutions can help China manage the hazy weather? This brief essay explores a number of solutions that China can adopt to address the challenges posed by the hazy weather.
Watering a garden is one of the latest and most advanced measures that an industrialized nation like China can adopt to manage the prevailing hazy weather. The recent geo-engineering research proposes radical measures that can minimize hazy weather. Although the method appears simpler than the magnitude of the problem, environmental scientists argue that it has the much-needed potential to manage weather characterized by haze. The same approach for watering a garden is employed in this method. In order to achieve the desired results, water is evenly sprayed into the affected atmosphere using large sprinklers loaded with large water tanks.
Large amounts of water sprinkled on top of buildings and towers tend to wash away aerosols and other particles present in the immediate atmosphere. The robust industrial growth of China over the past four decades is largely responsible for the massive air pollution experienced today. Heating, traffic, and coal-based energy are some of the core sources of air pollution that lead to hazy weather. This implies that controlling or managing air pollution of this type might not be an easy task at all. Vallero (2014) asserts that “more than 90% of the degradation of methane is by oxidation, mainly by reactions with hydroxyl radical…” (8).
Water simulates various categories of precipitation that naturally exists in the atmosphere. According to Yu (2014), gaseous pollutants and aerosols present in the atmosphere are the major cause of a hazy weather experienced in major cities in China. It is possible to scavenge such pollutants from the atmosphere using natural forms of precipitation. Both chemical and natural forms of water can be used in this procedure. However, pure water is highly recommended in order to avoid other unforeseen side effects of chemical substances. In any case, natural precipitation has the ability to wash away major air pollutants from the atmosphere. The exiting water shortage cannot be made worse because used water can still be recycled.
A hazy atmosphere is usually loaded with fine particles. It is possible to clear quite a large amount of such particles within a very short duration depending on the procedure used to spray water. Yu (2014) observes that “if you can spend half an hour watering your garden, you can also spend 30 minutes watering your ambient atmosphere to keep the air clean with this technique” (114). As it stands now, extensive research activities are underway to devise the most effective methods for delivering water to target atmospheres.
Ling (2013) suggests policy priority in the management of a hazy weather. Emission from diesel engines are mainly comprised of burnt fossil fuels. In particular, oxides of nitrogen are emitted from diesel exhaust fumes and freely disposed into the immediate atmosphere. Other harmful oxides include those of sulfur and hydrogen. Before the close of 2010, sulfur oxide emission was at its utmost point. China also consumes a lot of coal as an alternative source of generating energy.
According to Ling (2013), “despite China’s massive coal consumption, we can now observe some emission curves at their inflection point towards a downward shift” (par. 6). One of the policy measures proposed by the Chinese government is the desulfurization of facilities that handle components of sulfur. The same facilities can also be reconstructed or upgraded in order to meet the minimum safety standards.
Facilities that process sulfur and nitrogen are prone in the emission of toxic oxides into the atmosphere. If these facilities can be modified in such a way that the gaseous pollutants do not find their way out, then it can be a more practical method of reducing atmospheric haze. Another policy measure currently in place is the reduction of nitrogen oxide emission by at least 10 percent in the next one year.
Oxides of nitrogen are mainly emitted through vehicle exhaust fumes. Policy suggestions are currently targeting emission reduction from vehicles through the exhaust fumes pipes. However, the battle against pollution and haze-related problems cannot be won by merely considering exhaust control. Ling (2013) is of the opinion that more coordinated efforts should be considered in the management of air pollution.
Fire should not be used as a tool for clearing. It is vividly understood that any combustion activity generates heat and oxides of carbon. The latter products are equally responsible for the hazy weather characteristics experienced in mega cities in China. On the same note, land tenure and allocations should be left to policy makers. Besides, “policy makers have begun to value changes in greenhouse gas emissions in regulatory decisions” (Waldhoff, Anthoff, Rose & Tol 2014, p.2).
Land allocation and the period within which parcels of land are held by individuals or organizations also contribute towards air pollution. For instance, the government should not over-allocate land for industrial purposes at the expense of environmental pollution. In addition, the physical site characteristics should be compatible with land use activities. Wieczorek, Ditch and Bill (2011, 07) are categorical that “firewater runoff carries with it numerous contaminants…that may pose a health risk or cause ecological harm” (775).
The curative actions are applicable in areas that regularly exceed permissible levels of air quality. The adoption of remedial measures in air pollution should cut across the board. In other words, a mixture of pollution control methods is necessary in effective management of the hazy weather in China. Measures assumed by the Chinese government aim at reducing the emission of pollutants by improving purification systems or enhancing the conditions of dispersion of pollutants.
It is prudent to mention that remedial action is an effective system to solve the challenge of local air pollution. However, remedial measures might not be the best approach to use owing to the fact that the problem of air pollution is transferable to another medium because contaminants captured must deposit themselves somewhere. Hence, decontaminating the atmosphere might lead to pollution of water and soil. Moreover, the operation of cleaning equipment consumes raw materials and generates energy, which leads to air pollution in other areas.
In order to avoid further pollution of the environment, it is necessary to resort to the application of clean techniques that do not generate a lot of heat energy and other harmful gaseous products. The techniques adopted should attack the problem of pollution at source. Better still, technical development of more efficient processes in the use of raw materials and energy resources can be yet another alternative.
Some of the methods of preventing pollution at the source include product reformulation, process modification and recycling or recovery of products obtained. The above technologies are now fully developed and their applications in the case of plants operations cannot always be technical or economically feasible. Since fuel use is often the main source of air pollution, a very effective pollution control measure is crucial. Regulation of characteristics, qualities and conditions of use of various solid and liquid fuels should be a priority area when it comes to environmental conservation.
As already hinted out, another possible approach to reduce local air pollution is to improve the dispersion of pollutants using the self-purification capacity of the atmosphere. Raising the height of the chimneys of stationary sources, or changing how gases are channeled out from source. For instance, the output temperature of the gaseous products can be controlled to minimum levels. On the way of getting rid of large amounts of pollutants has been an issue of extensive discussion in recent years since pollutants discharged at high altitude can be trapped in relatively stable areas of the atmosphere and later transported long distances to cause harmful phenomena such as acid rain.
Preventive measures of air pollution are also effective in the control and management of hazy weather in China. Some of these measures include urban planning, previous studies of environmental impact assessment and efficient utilization of energy resources through a saving program.
Many of the air pollution problems that affect large cities in China could have been avoided or at least mitigated, through appropriate planning of the urban structure as well as the location of activities and industrial estates. Poor planning constraints the available resources Assuming that the main sources of air pollution in urban China are vehicles, domestic heating and industrial emissions, it is necessary to prevent the occurrence of these problems by undertaking a coordinated series of preventive measures aimed at reducing emissions such as encouraging the use of fuels with low pollutant levels and clean technologies as well as proper planning of road traffic.
Conclusion
In recap, air pollution in China is a major environmental concern that requires concerted effort for successful management. Sprinkling water on the affected atmosphere, application of technological innovations to vehicles, and urban management plans are some of the measures that the Chinese government can put in place to minimize the hazy weather. Creating buffer zones where vegetation grows between industrial and residential areas can also mitigate against air pollution. Needles to say, there is urgent need to cut down the consumption of coal and other fossil fuels in the generation of energy. Members of the public should also be encouraged to use public transport effort in the inner cities instead of private cars that jam the roads and cause heavy traffic and pollution.
References
Ling, X. (2013). Tracking down China’s Haze Pollution. Web.
Vallero, D. (2014). Fundamentals of Air Pollution. London: Elsevier Inc.
Waldhoff, S., Anthoff, D., Rose, S., & Tol, R. S. J. (2014). The marginal damage costs of different greenhouse gases: An application of FUND. Economics, 8(31), 1-33.
Wieczorek, C. J., Ditch, B., & Bill, R. G. (2011, 07). Environmental impact of automatic fire sprinklers: Part 2. experimental study. Fire Technology, 47, 765-779.
Yu, S. (2014). Water spray geoengineering to clean air pollution for mitigating haze in China’s cities. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 12(1), 109-116.
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