Rampant growth without a commensurate focus on pollution control and standards has rapidly created the sobriquet, The Dirtiest Country on the Earth. The Olympics in Beijing in 2008 highlighted the extent of the problem albeit only one aspect thereof: smog.
Economic growth does come at a cost. Being the most populous country on earth, even the upliftment of 300 million people from penury into the middle class has scared the countryside. Imagine what will happen when the next billion people become middle class with aspirations for cars and household appliances. Without urgent changes such as pollution standards and the use of renewable energy, an imminent catastrophe will befall China and ultimately the world. China burns around half the world’s coal, reaching 3.8 billion tons in 2011.
The main picture highlights the fact that air pollution has become so problematic that school and work closures due to smog are a regular occurrence in major cities.