China, the "Middle Kingdom" and one of the oldest civilizations on Earth, has seemed unconquerable for much of its history. The only people ever to conquer the Chinese were horsemen from the Asian steppe: the Xiongnu, the Mongols, the Manchu. Yet today there is no horsemen tribe in Asia to conquer China, yet one threat still exists. The Third Horseman of the Book of Revelations, Pestilence, holds China's capital Beijing in the palm of his hand.
As Bloomberg reports, the seat of the People's Republic has already experienced reports of toxic haze and advisories to stay indoors. Though the haze disappeared recently, it's reported to return in only a few days.
The Chinese government blames the smog on the country's many cars and the weather, but activists and scientists disagree. The country's Energy Research Institute implicates the small coal furnaces that litter the northern half of China. These furnaces and the larger power plants that fill much of China's energy needs are also under attack from the international community in terms of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
If anything, the consensus is that Chinese pollution is not just harming the environment but is now directly harming the Chinese people. Thus, the Chinese government, in reducing pollution, has the chance to hit two birds with one stone.
As Bloomberg reports, the seat of the People's Republic has already experienced reports of toxic haze and advisories to stay indoors. Though the haze disappeared recently, it's reported to return in only a few days.
The Chinese government blames the smog on the country's many cars and the weather, but activists and scientists disagree. The country's Energy Research Institute implicates the small coal furnaces that litter the northern half of China. These furnaces and the larger power plants that fill much of China's energy needs are also under attack from the international community in terms of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
If anything, the consensus is that Chinese pollution is not just harming the environment but is now directly harming the Chinese people. Thus, the Chinese government, in reducing pollution, has the chance to hit two birds with one stone.