In the 1970’s we started outsourcing production from the United Staes to overseas facilities that could meet production demands faster and cheaper. After over forty years of outsourcing, one thing is clear: Our air and waterways are a lot less polluted.

Now shocking news from China says, their air quality is terrible! How could that be? Apparently, China has been spreading propoganda about the air quality and its’ improvement for years! Recent pressures have forced officials to face the truth and at least begin addressing the problem.

It is also worthy to note that there’s a discrepancy, according to Chinese officials, over standards of measure, to determine if China even has a pollution problem. Perhaps the picture below will shed some light on the situation:

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Seems very nice! The illustrious Ministry of Environmental Protection in China finally noticed this horrible smog and has made the recommendation that about 120 of China’s major cities should begin to monitor the smog by next year. Way to take action! By monitoring the pollution it will most certainly subside.

Just last week Beijing started publishing readings of the smog, which they have been taking hourly. An official at the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (a Beijing-based nonprofit) credits the public with recognizing the problem, as it appears most at the institution have been robbed of their sight.

Apparently the smog is so thick and concentrated that it can become imbedded in people’s lungs and cause a variety of respiratory complications including death. The American Embassy began monitoring the levels and alerting the public about the pollution some time ago.

This angered the Chinese government, who politely asked the embassy to stop, and lie about it for them, if they could. The embassy declined.

Supposedly, China has been making progress on reducing air pollution, but that is their own claim, not an impartial party’s. The World Bank mentions, in an unreleased report, Northern China’s pollution levels exceed America’s limits by five to six times.