More feasible method
On October 31, the 999 Emergency Rescue Center in Beijing recorded a 30 percent spike in the number of patients treated for respiratory problems, including asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia, reported in the People's Daily
This strongly implies that the accumulation of airborne PM2.5 will cause proportionately more respiratory problems. However, under PM10 measuring standards, the nature of the pollution may be obscured and fail to effectively reflect the degree of harm to the public.
According to Du, the goal of fresh and clean air in Beijing is gradually being realized. In the early stages of tackling the problem there were fewer than 100 "blue sky days" in Beijing annually. Last year the number reached 286, an indication of the great progress that has already been made.
As of October 31 this year, the BMEPB has already calculated 239 "blue sky days". Du said they are also monitoring PM2.5 levels in Beijing daily, but as the primary organizational task has been to reach 365 "blue sky days," the parallel release of PM2.5 data was postponed.
Under the current situation, the government will soon step up efforts to work out a more feasible reporting solution, added Du, ensuring the new method will reveal infinitely more than the current standard and thus release a more accurate report of air quality every day.
Emission reduction a top priority
Hong Feng, deputy mayor of Beijing, commented on the sources of the problem. The government will continue its plan to reduce carbon emissions by getting old vehicles that do not meet the new emission standards off the road. On the home front, authorities will encourage people to replace the use of coal with cleaner burning gas, and targeting the construction sites that add so much to urban dust pollution, it will also insist on forms of control.
Hong said the ultimate goal is to make Beijing a more livable city, in which residents freely enjoy sunlight and fresh air.
