Since 1980, Chongqing has served as one of China’s test cities for new economic reform policies. As a result, the city experienced heightened levels of industrialization during the late twentieth century. As these industrialization practices expanded, energy consumption sharply increased. To meet these demands, China relied heavily on the burning of fossil fuels. The city of Chongqing used its large domestic supply of coal, which was obtained at a low cost from Northern regions of China, to fuel this industrial growth. The increase in coal combustion increased the concentration of sulphur dioxide emissions in the atmosphere, and consequently led to acid rain precipitation and environmental consequences. Following this period of industrialization, acid rain in urban regions occurred at a 50% higher frequency than rural regions of Chongqing, and the pH was low at about a 4.5. Due to this development the Chongqing population is more exposed to respiratory diseases, forest density has declined, and buildings are becoming corroded. In order to protect the local population and to improve air quality and infrastructure, government and environmental agencies in Chongqing are beginning to make desperate efforts to control industrial emissions.
Contributed by Patrick R. Kelly
Course: Global Environmental History
Instructor: Andrew Stuhl, Ph.D.
Bucknell University Lewisburg, US
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