Over the past years China's economy has been growing rapidly. China has become a key part in the world's economy due to their rapid development. While so much of their country is improving, it is also declining at the same time. Pollution starting in northern China and quickly spreading to the south has taken over. Pollution levels have become record high over the past years and has become extremely hazardous to the people living there. While pollution is starting to have detrimental effects on China's environment and their citizens' health, the government is wary of implementing laws because of their growing economy. The Chinese government believes in a develop now conserve later approach, but by the time they are finished developing it may be too late to fix their pollution problem. While finding a solution to the pollution in China with slow down economic development, the health and environmental consequences are too great for China to ignore and they must start finding a way to reduce pollution now.

China's rapid economic growth is showing to be very costly to its citizens. With factories emitting high levels of air pollutants, it is beginning to affect the health of Chinese citizens. In a video for CBS, reporters discuss how important it is for Chinese citizens, to deal with hazardous pollution levels with their health in best interest (CBS). An interview with a doctor explains that the best thing to do when pollution levels get too high is to stay indoors, especially for people who are more susceptible to disease such as children and the elderly (CBS). As the levels of pollution are increasing so are the rates of respiratory diseases and premature death in China. In his article for The Guardian, Alan Yuhas explains that "air pollution caused more than 5.5 million people to die prematurely in 2013" (Yuhas). Out of those 5.5 million roughly 1.6 million were Chinese citizens. Yuhas also explains that air pollution is the 4th leading cause of death globally. With millions of people being affected by air pollution it is important that we try to control it. Air pollution has been one of the leading causes in heart disease, lung cancer, bronchitis, and strokes globally (Yuhas). However, in China the rate of these diseases has been increasing rapidly as more and more pollution is being emitted into their air. Pollution in China has affected everyone from children to the elderly. Susan Brink's article with National Geographic discusses and eight-year-old girl who was diagnosed with lung cancer. The girl lived in the Jiangsu province of China. She is the "youngest person and China and possibly the world to be diagnosed with lung cancer caused by pollution" (Brink). A probable cause for increased rates of cardiovascular disease in people of all ages is because of the high levels of PM 2.5. PM 2.5 are the particles that are small enough to stay in the air for weeks, but are too large for our lungs to fill. This causes the carcinogens to sit in our lungs, which increases the chance of disease (Brink). If China continues on the path they are going on, the pollution problem is only going to get worse making life for Chinese citizens worse as well. Increasing pollution will increase the chance of disease and premature death for China. Instead of going with a "develop now conserve later" approach, China should focus on conserving now to help improve the environment and the lives of their citizens before it is too late. 

In addition to China's citizens, China's environment is at stake as well. With more and more factories and industrial parks being built, more pollution is going into the air. In December 2015, the Chinese government issued their first ever "red alert" for the city of Beijing. According to Edward Wong in his article for The New York Times, a red alert means that during monitoring of AQI (Air Quality Index), if the pollution stays at a hazardous level and it is cleared in 72 hours the government declares it too dangerous to be outside. This results in schools closing and having odd numbered license plates drive one day and even numbered plates drive the next, and the temporary closing of all industrial sites. This goes on until the smog has cleared and the government declares it safe again to resume everything as normal. About a week after the first, Beijing issued its second red alert. However, this is not the first time that Beijing's air has been off the charts. One weekend in November 2015, the AQI reached up to 1,000, breaking the scale that only reaches to 500 (Wong). While China has been doing their best to tackle pollution, the "measures did little to curb the smog" (Wong). Not only is Beijing being affected by high levels of smog, but cities in the southern part of China are beginning to experience it as well. In his article for CNN, Tao Xie explains that China "now has a smog belt that extends from Beijing all the way to Shanghai." With pollution spreading, more and more the environment is becoming worse and worse. This is leading researchers to believe that China "may well become sick before it becomes modern" (Xie). With the environment declining rapidly, people are starting to believe that the small measures that China has taken so far are not going to be a permanent solution to their pollution problem. In order to tackle it and actually see results, there needs to be bigger strides taken. This means that China will most likely have to reduce the amount of development and do it over a longer period of time in order to save their country's environment.  

While many researchers are focusing the the consequences that air pollution has on people's health, Nancy Averett is taking on a different perspective. Averett discusses that pollution may not have as big of an effect on our health than everyone believes. Averett focuses on the idea of low birth-weight caused by pollution. She focuses specifically on a study that went on during the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. During the 2008 Olympics the Chinese government shut down factories to get rid of pollution in Beijing for the games. The study looked at mothers who gave birth during the Olympics compared to mothers who didn't to see if there was a different in birth weight. However, according to Averett researchers found that only women in the eighth month of pregnancy were affected and there was no "found associations for increased air pollution during the other months of pregnancy" (Averett). While there is a possibility that birth weight does not effect birth-weight, Averett discusses previous studies that have had both conclusions. Averett explains that more research needs to be done to get a proper answer. While, studies have shown that pollution can and cannot affect birth-weight, it is hard to conclude at this time. Even if pollution does not affect birth weight specifically, it has still been known to cause lung cancer, heart disease, and other respiratory dseases. Therefore, there needs to be more studies done, and the Chinese government still needs to take measures to reduce the pollution. Even if low birth-weight is not affected by pollution now, if China continues on the path they were on, eventually pollution will increase to the point where it could effect birth-weight. Overall, China needs to start taking care of the pollution problem before it becomes too late and to the point where their citizens, including unborn children will suffer the consequences. 

People are also tentative about reducing pollution in China because it can effect the rapid economic growth that China is currently experiencing. Over the past years, China has become an important part in the world's economy. They have been developing quickly to try and keep up with other developed countries. However, this has caused concern to their environment and the citizens of China. While the Chinese government has set unrealistic goals and the laws that have been implemented are not enforced. In his article Gregory Chow of Princeton University explains that laws to reduce pollution are not enforced to reduce the cost of production (Chow). However, a more important reason is that local governments do not follow these laws because "to the advantage of local governments to allow pollution to take place illegally in order to promote a higher rate of economic growth and the central government cannot control them" (Chow). Local governments receive credits for economic development and bribes from producers (Chow). This means that government does not have any incentive to enforce pollution laws because they get rewards for not implementing them. The government believes in a develop now conserve later approach. Chow describes this belief as the "Chinese economy gets more developed the demand for cleaner water and air will increase, and the Chinese people can afford to pay for it" (Chow). However, this will not come soon. Eventually China will have enough income to offset the unfavorable effects of pollution, but it will take years to get there. Even though China may be able to eventually get to that point, it is still a long way away and their citizens are getting tired of waiting. China may not have the time that it believes to eventually offset the pollution problem. While their economic development is increasing quickly, so is their pollution emission. If China continues on this track it can get to the point of no return where they are unable to reduce pollution and the effects are too detrimental to fix. In order to prevent this the government need to implement small as well as large changes in the way that they are developing, and they will have to enforce these changes in order to see any result. 

While larger changes will take sometime before they go completely in effect, China can implement smaller solutions to pollution. This will be especially helpful for citizens and their health until other laws are enforced and start to reduce pollution. For example, a large portion of the pollution emitted into the air is caused by motor vehicles. With over one billion people in China-millions in every city-it is very hard to control vehicle emissions. When the pollution is too high, people especially people more susceptible to diseases such as the elderly and children it is better for them to stay indoors. They should not be doing any physical activity outside as it can increase their chance for respiratory diseases (Zhang). In addition, citizens should invest in facemasks to wear when the pollution is too high. Studies in China show "that the use of face masks in extremely polluted cities could reduce exposure and result in lower inflammatory and cardiovascular responses" (Zhang). Facemasks also help filter the particles in the air such as PM 2.5, which are particularly dangerous as they cannot be filtered and end up sitting in the lungs. In terms of in their households, Chinese citizens should burn fuel more cleanly. The majority of Chinese households use biomass fuels as energy sources. If not properly ventilated it increase "levels of indoor air pollution and increases in the incidence of acute lower respiratory infections, COPD, lung cancer, asthma, low birth weight" (Zhang). To help reduce indoor pollution, households should invest in proper ventilation. In addition, making sure to not smoke inside the house as second hand smoke can cause disease in both children and adults. Lastly, households can see an improvement with investing in air filtration systems. This keeps the particles out of the house and can reduce respiratory diseases. While these small changes can make a difference, bigger changes need to be made to make the problem go away all together. These solutions are a temporary fix for people who are actually able to use them. People in rural China may not have the money nor the resources to use air filtration systems or proper ventilation. Therefore, the bigger, more permanent changes have to be made by the Chinese government in reducing pollution all together not just tolerating it. 

While small changes are helpful, China will see greater results taking bigger steps towards reducing pollution. While measures to get rid of the pollution may be expensive, it will be worth it in the long run. In his article for U.S. News & World Report, Keith Crane explains a possible three step plan that China can use to eliminate pollution. Crane suggests that the first step China should take is to "substitute natural gas for coal for residential and commercial use" (Crane). Boilers and stove fueled by coal, wood and wastes play an important role in pollution emissions (Crane). Even though it would cost between 32 and 52 billion dollars a year this step would be most beneficial out of Crane's plan and it would be extremely helpful to the people of China's health. The second step-even though it is costly-would be "shutting down half of its coal-fueled power plants and replacing them with cleaner electricity generating technologies that rely on natural gas, nuclear, and renewables for fuel" (Crane). Coal is used to produce roughly 79% of China's electricity. Even though it will cost about 184 billion dollars a year, it will "reduce total national emissions of particulates and sulfur dioxide by well over 25 percent" (Crane). Lastly, China should accelerate the scrapping of motor vehicles that emit high amounts of air pollution such as trucks and older cars. There are currently more than 14 million cars in China that have "rudimentary pollution control equipment or none at all" (Crane). If China follows through with this it can reduce the amount of carbon monoxide and particulates that are emitted into the air (Crane). Overall, this step would cost between 21 and 42 billion dollars (Crane). Even though it is costly, reducing the pollution now can help China greatly in the long run. Putting in the time and money now would also be a lot better than doing it later because as the problem progresses the pollution is going to increase as well, making it more expensive. In an article for the International Journal of Integrated Care, Li Jianjun discusses that the "recent environmental incidents, such as hazardous air pollution, the transformation of China's economic development model has become a matter of urgency" (Jianjun). This means that the pollution is becoming so hazardous that it is time to take action to protect China's citizens and environment. 

Overall, China's pollution problem has been too great for the Chinese government to put-off any longer. While small changes may help some, China needs to implement big changes in the way they are developing to see improvements. While some believe that this problem can wait, the consequences to people's health and the environment in general are becoming too great to ignore as rates of lung cancer and heart disease continue to increase. Therefore, China needs to start slowing down on their economic development and start to implement and enforce law protecting Chinese citizens and the environment from the harmful effects of pollution. 

