One year of clearing the air to greet another

Beijing has issued two red alerts against air pollution in two weeks. This signifies heavier pollution, but it also shows that the authorities have become more vigilant to air pollution. Seen together with the other measures it has taken, we can say the Beijing municipal government has been more determined in 2015 to curb air pollution.

Opinions on the root causes of air pollution in China differ, but there are some common factors. Burning of coal is the first. China still burns coal to generate about 70 percent of its electricity and its annual coal consumption is more than 4 billion tons.

Earlier this month, the Chinese government announced on its official website a plan to improve technologies and reduce the ratio of coal in power generation to less than 310 grams per kilowatt hour. The plan will hopefully save 100 million tons of coal a year by 2020 and, along with other measures to reduce the reliance on coal, greatly improve the air quality.