On moving towards an ecologically sound society: with special focus on preventing future smog crises in China and globally

Ecological modernization to counteract climate changesWhile the prolonged, severe smog that blanketed Beijing and many other Chinese cities during the first months of 2013 remain fresh in the public's mind, it will take years, if not decades, to comprehensively understand the full economic, social, human health and environmental impacts of that and other smog episodes.Concentrated emissions of diverse air pollutants are increasingly resulting in serious regional air pollution problems in China.Coal consumption has been rising annually by more than 200 million tons during the period from 2000 to 2012.The number of cars and motorcycles in China increased twenty times between 2000 and 2010 and is projected to continue to increase very rapidly.Consequently, China's annual emissions of primary particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, ozone and VOCs exceed twenty million tons.