Chinas economy has skyrocketed， but at a price. Millions of Chinese now are breathing a hazardous cocktail of chemicals every day. These chemicals are caused by coal-fired power plants， factories and vehicles， and are responsible for heart disease， stroke， respiratory illnesses， birth defects and cancer.

For decades， the Chinese leadership sacrificed the environment in order to achieve breakneck economic growth. Now， power plants， factories and heavy industries are all belching out black， dirty air， at the cost of peoples health and environment.

According to a study， outdoor air pollution contributed to 1.2 million premature deaths in China in 2010 alone. One song circulating online includes the lyrics， “I live in the smog， I dont want to die in the smog.”

The environmental crisis risks dragging down economic growth. In addition to having a huge impact on the economy and peoples health， air pollution “also threatens social security and Chinas reputation”， and given growing public dissatisfaction， it could yet become a political problem for Chinas new leaders.

According to a report， China generates over 20% of all carbon emissions worldwide. As the worlds largest polluter， and next super power in the making， China certainly has a re-sponsibility to act. It is time to sacrifice its heavy industry for the sake of both its people， and the very planet that people live on.

Beijing Airpocalypse： Fight against Haze Need to Be Intensified

At the last month of last year， a lung-burning haze choked the countrys capital Beijing， infuriating residents and reigniting debate about the costs of headlong development. In December 2015， Beijing issued its first ever “red alert” over the citys smog， with the Chinese capital going into shutdown in an attempt to protect people from the deadly air.

According to the Beijing Municipal Severe Air Pollution Emergency Plan which took effect in March 2014， the municipal government can issue a red alert when severe air pollution is forecast to extend for more than three days， the orange alert for three days， the yellow alert for two days and the blue alert for one day.

It is the first time ever that the highest possible state of caution has been declared in the city， which has more than 21 million residents. The warning means schools will have to close down and construction and other industry in the capital will be limited.endprint