life of guangzhou

Bike GZ, a local NGO (non-governmental organization), has recently advocated a one-month-old monitoring of PM2.5 in Guangzhou amid air pollution concerns.

Wang Zechu, a renowned local social activist, was the fifth citizen to take part in the act when he monitored the PM2.5 on the lawn of his residential community with a portable monitor last Sunday. Bike GZ needs over 20 more citizens to finish its mission until early next month.

It turned out that the PM2.5 reading last Sunday was 36 micrograms per cubic meter of air, far less than 75 micrograms as stated in the National Environment Quality Standard.

The move is to raise citizen's awareness of air pollution in GZ

"The result of my monitoring may not be precise, because PM2.5 readings could vary based on the location and timing of the monitoring," said Wang, "for example, the PM2.5 readings in the residential areas and the industrial areas can not be the same. And, the readings we get in the morning and at night could also be different."

"But I am hoping our act will make people more aware of the importance of protecting the environment and push local authorities to release the PM2.5 readings as soon as possible," Wang added.

"The citizens need to know the exact readings in order to have a better understanding of the environment and protect it accordingly," said Wang.

Comment: DIY Monitoring Reflects People's Anxiety (Guangzhou Daily)

The fact that the citizens are doing DIY monitoring of the PM2.5, rather than waiting for the authorities to release the readings shows that they are anxious to know the truth.

The citizens may not be able to afford the expensive devices needed to get more precise readings, but they are still doing it tirelessly. It shows that they are well aware of the air pollution, and they want to know how serious it really is.

(By Charles Wang)

The story above is contributed by our media partner GZ Morning Post.
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