lens culture
Breathless
Aleksi Poutanen

Breathless

Photos
13
Status
Public
Created
Oct 15, 2014
Updated
Feb 09, 2022
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Photos (13)

Cover
China is the world´s single largest carbon dioxide polluter. Roughly 75 percent of Chinese electricity comes from coal power, which means China burns almost as much coal as the rest of the world combined. © Aleksi Poutanen
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During the Chinese New Year in 2013 the PM2.5 particle index in Beijing went over 1,000. Even 200 Is considered hazardous. © Aleksi Poutanen
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China is striving to cut down rampant pollution, but in many cases, environmental regulations are nonexistent or simply not enforced. © Aleksi Poutanen
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In 2012, China´s carbon dioxide emissions reached a whopping nine billion tons, more than any other nation. © Aleksi Poutanen
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In the last 20 years, Chinese emissions have grown by 240 percent. © Aleksi Poutanen
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The Chinese equation is far from simple. Measured per capita, China is a poor country struggling with enormous environmental issues. © Aleksi Poutanen
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On worst days, there's so much particulate matter in the sky that pollution levels exceed WHO safety limits tens of times over. © Aleksi Poutanen
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In Beijing and the surrounding areas, 58% of PM2.5 comes from burning coal in the power, steel, cement and brick industries. © Aleksi Poutanen
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Globally, over three million people die because of air pollution every year. © Aleksi Poutanen
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Mountains to the north, northwest and west trap the smog above Beijing, exacerbating the pollution problem. © Aleksi Poutanen
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Hundreds of millions of Chinese people live without access to clean drinking water.Sixteen of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in China. © Aleksi Poutanen
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In China, lung cancer was two to three times more common in cities than in the countryside despite similar rates of tobacco smoking.© Aleksi Poutanen
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After rain, the skies over China's big cities might be momentarily clear. But on most sunny days, you can hardly see more than a hundred meters. © Aleksi Poutanen
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