Smog Makes 70 Percent of China Unhappy (the Other 30 Percent Probably Own Coal Mines)
Seven out of 10 China residents are unhappy about smog and 71 percent claim to wear masks on smoggy days, a recent survey detailed in the Global Times reports.
One can only surmise the remaining 30 percent not depressed by smog are either too senile to know what's going on, or they run coal mines or air filter companies that are making big bank off the bad air.
The survey, conducted by the China Youth Daily, polled 2001 people across China, with 73.4 percent of respondents living in areas heavily affected by smog.
READ: Beijing Aims to Smash its 2013 Targets by Reducing
Coal Burning by 30 Percent This Year
The survey indicated that smog also regularly keeps about 52.6 percent of respondents from going outdoors.
However, only 40.6 percent currently own air filters at home, while another 39.8 percent are planning to. The remaining 20 percent or so, again, we can only assume are too brain dead from pollution inhalation to care.
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If respondents are responding truthfully, it's a strong indication that the country has reached the tipping point, where obsession over bad air is on the mind of a majority of residents.
In other survey results, 60.7 percent said an air filter is a necessary household item and 79.9 percent said offices should supply air filtration systems. However, only 16 percent say that air filters are "very effective," while nearly as many – 13.7 percent say they're not effective and only provide psychological benefit. The rest (65.3 percent) say air filters are "at least partially effective."
READ: How Hard Can It Be to Supply Public Works Employees
With Anti-Pollution Masks?
As for mask use, 71 percent claim to wear masks when going out on smoggy days. Considering this is a nationwide survey, I'd have to call BS on that, as my own (albeit subjective) observations in Beijing – which has a population that is almost for sure more educated on air quality protection and has the money to pay for it – that even on the worst days, less than half the people I see commuting ever wear masks. I make it a habit to count how many masks I see on passers-by on my morning commute on foot, and while mask use is increasing, it's never once reached more than 50 percent of the people I see.
Image: Geografiavisual
