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　　Chai Jing, former presenter and journalist with China Central Television, presents a self-funded documentary about smog in Beijing, Feb 28, 2015. [Photo:爱游戏官网网页版入口 CFP]

　　A former celebrity TV presenter has released a self-funded documentary on smog, after her own daughter fell ill.

　　Chai Jing's one-year project, Under the Dome, marks a comeback for the former presenter and journalist with China Central Television following the birth of her child. It adds a sentimental touch to a matter of public interest with Chai not only being an independent observer but also a concerned mother.

　　1. PM2.5 and Its Harmful Influence

　　PM2.5 refers to particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which believed to pose the greatest health risks.

　　In order to sort out what are the components of such particles, Chai brought a PM2.5 sampler throughout her daily life to collect and track down the fine dust contained in Beijing's air.

　　After the inside of the sampler turned black after a full-day of exposure to Beijing's air, the content was analyzed to identify 15 cancer causing elements, including one that had a strong link to cancer.

　　Chai presents a cartoon clip to explain how PM2.5 particles affect our body as soon as they enter our respiratory system. This aims to help people have a more vivid understanding of how these invisible particles will damage our respiratory system and cardiovascular system.

　　According to the statistics released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a higher level of PM2.5 density is supposed to cause an increase in death rates.

　　China's former health minister has estimated that in China, the number of premature deaths due to air pollution has reached 500,000 every year.

　　It has shown in several studies around the world, children in cleaner places grow faster than children in polluted area. Poor lung functioning in early life is a predictor of lung diseases in later life.

　　In China, the issue of severe smog has existed for a long time, but it has only been acknowledged as a problem in recent years.

　　2. Causes of Smog

　　Chai says coal is burnt in many parts of the world and the use of fossil fuel is widespread. In China, we have burnt 3.6 billion tons of coals in 2013, surpassing the total sum that all the other countries used. The previous comparable case is Britain in 1860, but the country had to pay a heavy price for that.

　　The problems of coal usage in China lie in four aspects: large levels of consumption, low quality of coal used, lack of adequate cleaning processes and also the lack of strict emission controls.

　　Large amounts of coal have been used in north China's Hebei province for its steel industry. 60 percent of China's steel factories have been set up without any approval and the environment law was neglected.

　　Many cities used brown coal, half of which will turn into toxic dust after burning. On Oct 21, 2013, the PM2.5 level in northeast China's Harbin city hit an astronomical level, with a reading of 1000 particles per cubic meter of air, on the first day that the city turned on its central heating system in winter.

　　Cleaning the coal prior to burning it is one way to reduce the toxic emissions from coal burning. For instance, the UK cleans 95 percent of the coal that they used.

　　In China, less than half of the coal that is used is cleaned. Besides, many citizens still burn coal in their homes to keep warm in winter, which also contributes to the smog.

　　Besides the problem of coal, China's gasoline quality is 2 to 3 levels lower than that used in developed countries. Beijing's diesel is of the highest standard in China, but its sulfur content is 25 times than that used in EU countries. The country's emission could be reduced by 10 percent if the oil standard was improved by one level.

　　Ocean-going cargo ships pollute the offshore areas greatly. For instance, 60 percent of the sulfur dioxide emission in south China's new economic hub, Shenzhen, comes from ships.

　　Then where is the environmental protection department?爱游戏官网登录

　　In the documentary, Zeng Shumao, head of the environmental protection bureau of Xiaoyi city in north China's Shanxi province, said they have punished the factories that have violated the regulations and ordered them to be shut down, but these orders have been neglected by factory owners in the pursuit of profits.

　　3. Experiences and Solution

　　Both the government and citizens should take urgent steps to deal with smog.

　　As far as the government is concerned, stricter laws and rules should be launched to crack down on acts which contribute to air pollution.

　　Take Los Angeles for example, a strict law there requires all heavy vehicles burning diesel to install special filters to filter all hazardous elements produced through diesel burning.

　　Any cars without these filters will be fined 1000 U.S. dollars or prevented from updating their license plates.

　　In the meantime, car manufacturers are urged to recall cars with quality problems.

　　The documentary also highlights the need to change the energy mix of the country.

　　Take London for example, coal, which used to make up 90% of the city's energy mix, has been gradually replaced by oil and natural gas.

　　Eventually, Britain entered into a 'natural gas and oil era', which dramatically boosted the country's economy and also improved its air quality.

　　It urges the government to open more markets for renewable energy sources to stop the over dependence of traditional fuels such as coal.

　　As for citizens, there are many things people can do to deal with smog.

　　They can choose to travel by public transport or cycle when traveling short distances within 5 km. If they see a gas station leaking oil and gas, or a heavy diesel vehicle discharging hazardous smoke, or dust swirling inside a construction site, they could tip-off the authorities by calling 12369.

　　They could also refuse to purchase goods produced by manufacturers who cause heavy pollution in their factories. They can also participate in public opinion polls soliciting on making or revising air quality policies or rules.