Draft 1 BEIJING — One Friday more than two years ago, an air-quality monitoring device atop the United States Embassy in Beijing recorded data so horrifying that someone in the embassy called the level of pollution “Crazy Bad” in an infamous Twitter post. That day the Air Quality Index, which uses standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, had crept above 500, which was supposed to be the top of the scale. So what phrase is appropriate to describe January 13rd ’s jaw-dropping reading of 755 at 8 p.m., when all of Beijing looked like an airport smokers’ lounge? Though an embassy spokesman said he did not immediately have comparative data, Beijing residents who follow the Twitter feed said the numbers appeared to be the highest recorded since the embassy began its monitoring system in 2008. The level of toxicity in the air was “Beyond Index,” the terminology for levels above 500. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, levels between 301 and 500 are “Hazardous,” meaning people should avoid all outdoor activity. The World Health Organization has standards that judge a score above 500 to be more than 20 times the level of particulate matter in the air deemed safe. What caused the extreme pulse of smog? Why does the emission of greenhouse gases keeps increasing in China? Is it because of the Chinese government? Many people believe that the government only cares about the economy with the cost of environment and energy. Or maybe some other reasons: natural resources, technology, expertise, etc.
It is important to know this because we can never accomplish the goal of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases globally without the participation of China. China plays a very important role in the global warming. Air around the world can circulate. If the problem in China remains unsolved, global warming will never stop.