Beijing Takes Emergency Steps to Fight Smog: a non fiction reading response.

In the article "Beijing Takes Emergency Steps to Fight Smog" by Edward Wong, the author describes actions that the government is trying to take to control the thick smog that now smothers Beijing. The air was rated hazardous by a United States Embassy test. The air quality index was 517, far above the normal 300. The tests measure a potentially deadly matter called PM 2.5. The air quality in Beijing is similar to the air quality on the worst days in 20th century London. Now that officials have recognized and acknowledged the problem, the mayor of Beijing, Mr. Wang, are moving towards legislation. Some measures include shutting down over a hundred factories and ordering a third of government cars off the streets in Beijing.
In Mr. Wang's speech at a session of the municipal legislature, he said '"I hope that we can have blue skies, clean water, less traffic, and a more balanced education system,"' (Wong 1). First, it might take years for the skies of Beijing to be blue. Beijing is surrounded by coal burning factories, which add to the smog. These factories aren't going to shut down without any effects. The economy is like a lake, one ripple spreads across the lake. If all those factories shut down, the industries that rely on the factories would be in trouble. Even though the fog might clear slowly, you have an entire industry about to collapse because their factory is gone. The industry collapses, the economy takes a hit, and because China is huge in the global economy, the global economy takes a smaller hit, but it is still a hit. Everything is not going to be perfect because you passed a law. Water isn't going to be the cleanest immediately. Education is the only thing that can happen extremely quickly, but I personally feel that education is a preventative measure. Kids, with all due respect, cannot change the legislature of a country, especially the legislation of a huge and money driven country like China.
One person lobbying for clean air is Pan Shiyi, a real estate tycoon. He asked if China should adopt a clean air act. On Wednesday, "...99 percent of the more than 42,000 replies had voted in favor of the act." (Wong 3). This tells you that the population wants reform. Residents had been demanding the air quality information to be released, along with Mr. Pan. Without someone with money, like a real estate tycoon, I doubt that the information would be released. Money still drives the world, for better or for worse. It was money that drove all those factories to Beijing, polluting the air. It was money and powerful people that caused the legislature to stop denying the smog. The officials had no incentive to slow down work at the factories. Incentives in the modern world means money.
Sadly, we still live in a world driven by money, not by the concern for the public's health. If officials and executives were given incentives, they probably would have stopped polluting the air. If the government had released the data when the citizens asked, then the smog might not be this bad. Now, because people wanted money, the innocent citizens of Beijing must pay the price. Hopefully measures are taken, but I have a bad feeling that the smog is here to stay.

Works Cited

Wong, Edward. "Beijing Takes Emergency Steps to Fight Smog." New York Times 30 Jan. 2013. World.              30 Jan. 2013 <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/world/asia/beijing-takes-emergency-steps-to-fight-smog.html>.