HOW GREEN IS CHINA?
In early December 2017, the notorious Beijing smog that had, in previous years, shrouded the city in a state of ‘airpocalypse’ was nowhere to be found. Normally, when large parts of north China turn on their central heating around November, the additional coal-burning exacerbates air pollution in the region. Not in 2017. The capital city enjoyed such an extensive period of crisp, fresh air that researchers declared China was ‘winning’ its war on pollution.
But 60 kilometres southwest of Beijing, the situation was anything but celebratory. In the suburb of Zhuozhou, Hebei province, villagers were anxiously waiting for their new gas-powered heating system to work as the temperature sank to seven degrees below zero. The hastily installed devices, which were meant to replace coal furnaces, faced all kinds of technical glitches as well as a more fatal problem: a shortage of natural gas. Disappointed, some households stealthily turned on the coal furnaces. Others had to endure freezing cold nights.
‘Ecological civilization’
The shift from coal
