Greenpeace Blames South Korea for Air Pollution
Not that Greenpeace has much creditability, but they are primarily blaming South Korea for air pollution over the peninsula instead of China:
Greenpeace challenged a common perception among Koreans that most air pollution comes from China, Wednesday, claiming that Korea is responsible for more than half of its particle-laden smog.
“Despite what is widely reported through the Korean media, from 50 to 70 percent of particle-laden smog, which is also known as PM2.5, is generated within the country,” the environmental group said at a press conference in Seoul.
“Yet the Korean government irresponsibly passes the blame on to China without having any strategies to tackle the problem itself.”
Greenpeace claim that the government has little understanding of PM2.5, which results in policies that will continue to increase pollution.
Greenpeace said that among all sources of air pollution, the nation’s 53 coal power plants should be identified for action
“But the government plans to build 13 more coal plants by 2021, while 11 are under construction,” Greenpeace said. “We wonder why the government remains passive in developing renewable energy sources.”
Greenpeace states that Korea relies on coal plants for 39 percent of its energy production and is the fourth biggest coal importer in the world. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but if they are talking every day air pollution then of course South Korea is primarily responsible. However, if they are trying to infer that the yellow dust is primarily caused by South Korea than that is deceptive. Most of the health problems from air pollution happen in Korea because of the seasonal yellow dust that indisputably comes from China.
From Korea Times:
“The PM2.5 concentration in the air in Seoul is 25.5 g/m3, higher than other major cities abroad, including New York (13.9 g/m3), Paris (15 g/m3) and London (16 g/m3). It is also higher than the World Health Organization’s quality guideline: 10 g/m3.”
Seoul at average of 25 PM’s is quite an achievement of improvement. I remember Seoul had averages over 65 PM’s, around 10 to 15 years ago, and probably much worse if you go back further into the 1990’s and 1980’s. But I guess things started to improve when they got rid of all those old polluting diesel buses and cars with natural gas buses and cleaner diesel cars. Also, don’t forget, some of the much older houses in some poor neighbourhoods in Seoul still burn coal (yontan) for heating and cooking.
Sorry. Until they stop being pro-communism asshats they have zero credibility.