These days, I believe that the most serious pollution problem is the air pollution in Beijing. Since I’m from Beijing, I feel pretty worried about the whole air pollution thing.

Last week, when I was talking to my mother through phone, my mom told me that the sky was becoming grey these days and news about the air pollution was announced through TV, internet and newspaper. In a word, everyone was talking about the serious pollution. How bad is it? Well, the Air Quality Index (PDF topped out at 755 ppm at a monitoring station at the U.S. Embassy (on a scale of 500). The World Health Organization suggests that it should not be above 20 and more than 300 is hazardous! When I told these to my parents, they were shocked. Since the news only announced PM2.5, they don’t know exactly how bad it is!

This terrible air pollution will not only threat people’s health, it can also make the whole society unstable since people can easily hate the government because of its ineptitude and corruption. We must do something to deal with the pollution!

The government try to make some short run policy to make the air pollution index looks better. Some factories were ordered to shut down temporarily, 30% government cars are not allowed to drive, construction and demolition are ordered to stop and burning coal is limited. As we know, these policies will be abandoned as soon as the air pollution index looks better. So, I believe, some long run measures must be taken.

First of all, all the factories should abate their emission. In order to do this, the government can impose pollution tax or providing quota. The government can also provide subsidy to help factories improve their equipments. Second, old cars should be put out to pasture. Since controlling automobile exhaust gas pollution can help to reduce air pollution. Third, using Denitration of Coal-fired boiler should be required. Last but not least, I believe the structure of economy should also change. We should try to found more high level design center instead of low level sweatshop. These factories are the main factor of the pollution.

Let Beijing be Beijing, not “Greyjing”!