China, particularly its cities including its capital Beijing, has been enveloped by heavy smog. For example, the smog has blocked out the sun in several cities. Hospitals are overflowing as an increasing number of patients complaining respiratory and heart-related ailments are coming. Hospitals reported increases of up to 30% in the number of patients reporting breathing problems. Officials announced emergency measures that include shutting some factories and limiting car use. Several construction sites were ordered to halt work, factories slowed production and authorities ordered a curb on the use of government cars. Schools cancelled outside activities and authorities advised residents to stay inside. Flights are delayed and highways closed. Visibility in some places reportedly dropped to 50m.
THE BACKGROUND
Smog is a type of air pollution. This term refers to smoky fog. The cause of suck smog may be the burning of large amounts of coal within a city, vehicular emission from internal combustion engines and industrial fumes. The contributing factors include growth of steel, smelting, and petrochemical factories outside the city, and emissions by Beijing’s 5 million vehicles. Some amount of such small elements in the air is acceptable and the World Health Organisation considers the presence of 25 micrograms per cubic meter of small particles in the air as safe. But many parts of Beijing, for example, contain more than 700 micrograms per cubic meter. While Chinese environmental regulations are stringent, environmentalists have complained that officials are often reluctant to enforce standards for fear of holding back economic growth.
THE OVERVIEW
It is reported that the pace of economic growth in China is phenomenal. But the same incredible economic growth has its negative undercurrents too. Smog is one such phenomenon. This is the cost of that unbridled rapid growth. The story of the economic growth of China is fascinating. It survived the shock of the demise of Communism in Russia by a dubious method of retaining the communist political structure and opting for the market economics of capitalism. This cocktail of capitalism with a strong state administration has been bearing fruits and the nation has developed economically in leaps and bounds. It has become a significant exporter of consumable items in the world keeping inflow of world capital at bay. But two problems have crept in side by side. One is the uncontrolled growth of production which is telling upon the environment. The other is the consumerism which is ingrained in capitalism. The Chinese society has become consumerist to the core. The number of cars plying on the streets of its cities, for example, is a result of this spreading menace. This approach too creates pollution. The smog is the result of these two phenomena.
Human greed knows no bound. It is a proof of what Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said that the resources of the earth are sufficient for needs of everyone while these are insufficient to serve the greed of any one person.