Thesis Book

11
WESTERN APPROACH
BACKGROUND
Figure 2.3 | Beijing The ‘Great Smog’ in 2013 Figure 2.4 | London The ‘Great Smog’ in 1952
China is not the only country that has
experienced deadly human-induced
pollution levels. The “Great Smog”
happened in London in 1951, killing
4,000 people in 4 days, and the causes
of London’s smog were similar to those
in Shijiazhuang (John, Shulenberger &
Endlicher 2008). Like China, London’s
economic performance at the time was
strong and the city was experiencing
rapid growth, but smog was the
unpleasant cost of this growth. As the
main energy source, coal-burning fires
resulted in significant air pollution across
the city, and most people at that time
did not understand the importance of a
healthy environment. However, London
learned important lessons from this
health disaster. After the London smog,
urban citizens changed their heating
system from individual to collective,
installing filter systems. As well, people
strived to look for more green energy
to substitute for coal, and air pollution
became an important part of education.
In the 20th century, London’s air
pollution becomes serious again. There
is a researcher who followed children
in central London schools, and found
that their lung capacity was reduced
significantly by the age of eight or nine
(Vidal 2013). The research also came out
with a startling conclusion that people
will have smaller lungs forever when
they live in a polluted area. The point
is, the lung volume problem will affect
people’s bodies in the future and that is
why people die of lung disease later on
(Vidal 2013). Today, London air pollution
is linked to the death of 4,300 people
per year, and air pollution is the root of
health problems which include heart and
lung diseases, cancers and respiratory
problems (Fuller 2013). London authority
launched the ‘Low Emission Zone’ from
2008, which is a traffic pollution charge
scheme with the aim of reducing the car
pollution in London. The ‘Low Emission
Zone’ only charges vehicles that do not
conform to higher emission standards,
and others can enter the controlled zone
for free (BBC 2007).
Carpooling is a simple way for
individuals to save money and go
where they want to go. It also reduces
congestion and conserves energy along
the way. ‘Carpooling’ is sharing a car with
more than one person; more people using
one vehicle reduces each person’s travel
costs and the stress of driving. Carpooling
has become more popular in western
countries because of the gas shortage,
resulting from the 1973 oil crisis (Amey
& Oliphant 2010). Today, carpooling is a
great way to solve traffic congestion and
carbon emission problems.
China needs to understand exactly
what was done in London at the time and
connect to contemporary London. London
clears the smog but leaves pollutants
on a level that continue to erode the
health of the population. China, in dealing
with air pollution problems, should be
more cautious and consider long-term
implications.