Source: CCTV News
Carnegie–Tsinghua’s Wang Tao participated in a discussion on CCTV News’ World Insight on China’s current air pollution problem. In the discussion, Wang emphasized that China’s heavy pollution is mainly a result of the country’s reliance on coal and heavy industry.
Wang noted that Beijing must learn from the mistakes of countries like the United States and UK in dealing with air pollution, but also retain a realistic mindset as long-term solutions to environmental challenges take years to be effective. The national government must prioritize improving the environment rather than focusing on cosmetic fixes. Wang made it clear that a major hurdle for the government will be the burden that environmental protection policies will place on the public. In order to keep the public invested, Wang explained that inconveniences to their daily lifestyles must be kept to a minimum.