14 DAY TRIAL // As reported on several occasions, air pollution levels in China have skyrocketed over these past few months. In fact, they are so high that people have even coined a new word to describe the situation. Long story short, the country's air pollution crisis is now called an “airpocalypse.”
The good news is that, with a little help from its buddies, China might soon experience an improvement in local air quality. Thus, this past Thursday, the Obama administration announced that the US was to try and help the country curb air pollution.
Specifically, the US and China are to work together on developing a new set of emissions standards. These standards will be very strict and will target cars and trucks driven up and down Chinese roads and highways. The Truth about Cars tells us that, for the time being, there are about 120 million passenger cars in China. As if these vehicles do not emit enough air pollutants on their own, it appears that, by the year 2020, some 80 million others will join them.
Given the fact that these 120 million cars have managed to bring about an airpocalypse, one cannot help but wonder what would happen if their number were to up to 200 million by 2020 and nothing were to be done to reduce their ecological footprint.
According to the same source, the US wishes to keep air pollution in China from going from bad to worse by lending the country a helping hand in implementing a new set of standards, i.e. China VI, for automotive emissions.
“China committed to implement aggressive low sulfur fuel and motor vehicle emissions standards and for the first time will include China VI emissions standards. These standards, when implemented, will have significant air quality and climate benefits and reduce vehicle fuel use,” the White House says in a press release.
“The United States pledged to provide technical assistance to help China achieve these goals,” the White House further details.
Presently, China is busy implementing a fourth stage of emissions standards. Specifically, the country wishes to reduce sulfur content in diesel fuel down to 50 parts per million.
The US and the EU standard for sulfur content in diesel fuel is one of 15 parts per million and 10 parts per million, respectively.