Passage 1
Energy use and air pollution have been synonymous in China for
decades, especially in urban areas. (66) Fifteen or 20 years
ago in China’s northern cities, such as Shenyang, air pollution was
characterized by decreased visibility caused by high levels of particulates and
sulfur dioxide (SO2). Although conditions have improved in modern
cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, China still has three of the ten most
polluted cities in the world and hundreds of cities that are not in compliance
with the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines. (67) More than 120 cities have populations of more
than one million, and by the end of the twenty-first century, 10 to 20 cities
will have populations of more than 10 million. Rapid urbanization will challenge
governments at all levels, not only to provide basic services to growing urban
populations, but also to modernize, to continue to develop economically, and to
address environmental concerns, particularly air pollution, that result from
rapid economic growth. Chinese planners now recognize that the
choice of energy supply affects not only public health, but also land use, the
environment, infrastructure, services, and economic growth. (68)
Because China has an overabundance of coal and a scarcity of oil and
gas, planners must continually balance the public good (i. e. , public health
and quality of life) against the easy availability of polluting coal and the
high cost of importing oil and natural gas. Fundamentally, the Chinese policy
community must address ambient air quality concerns by integrating energy supply
and use for all economic sectors--industrial, power generation, residential,
commercial, and transportation. (69) The
national averages for emissions of SO2 and particulate matter (PM)
have decreased, mostly as a result of stepped up enforcement of existing
standards by national, provincial, and municipal governments. However, because
of the increase in vehicle pollution and the continued prevalence of
fine-particle pollution, the government passed a second amendment in 2000 to the
1987 Law of Air Pollution Prevention and Control. (70) When
the new law is fully implemented over the next decade, it will greatly
strengthen environmental laws and standards. A. Thus, a secure,
flexible, and varied energy-supply policy is critical to continued
growth. B. The new legislation, which went into effect September
1, 2001, calls for the regulation of transportation, as well as residential and
commercial energy use. C. In rural areas, air pollution is also
common because a significant amount of industry that is highly dependent on coal
is located in the countryside. D. China is undergoing
urbanization and industrial development on an unprecedented scale.
E. This may be because vehicles in Beijing tend to be new and have fairly
efficient combustion systems. F. A good deal of progress has
been made in China since the mid-1990s.