How to Escape Fine-Dust Hell

Fine dust blowing in from China is threatening blue skies across Northeast Asia, including South Korea. Breathing has become so difficult that people now speak of a “fine dust hell.” Citizens are increasingly irritated by the emergency disaster alerts sent one after another by the Ministry of Environment, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and Gyeonggi Province. That means the government is failing to do its job properly.

Fine dust is an environmental issue. This is something environmental groups should be stepping up to address on behalf of the public, yet they have remained silent. It seems they have judged that there is little political gain to be had. Still, we cannot simply sit back and do nothing. It is true that most of the fine dust comes from China and that it is difficult to solve in the short term, but that does not mean there is no solution.

The first thing the government must do is persuade and help China recognize the problem properly and address it. Air pollution is an issue that advanced countries have experienced over many years and for which they have developed solutions. In fact, considerable technology and experience have already been accumulated. If the right solution is chosen, the problem can be resolved in the long run, even if not immediately. To that end, South Korea, China, and Japan need to conduct joint investigations and analyze the causes together.

In China, land is owned and managed by the state. On top of that, economic controls are severe. Because government-led industrialization has proceeded regardless of the intentions of economic actors, air pollution has worsened to a serious level. Chinese authorities have resorted to short-term measures such as halting factory operations during major events in Beijing or inducing artificial rainfall. But such showy administrative measures are not the right solution.

Environmental problems are challenges that China can resolve as it moves beyond the level of a developing country and achieves long-term economic growth. For that to happen, China’s institutions need to improve to advanced-country standards. In particular, the rule of law must be established so that property rights principles regarding land are faithfully protected, and free choice and business activity must be guaranteed. Environmental improvement is possible only when land ownership and use are governed by private-sector economic logic. China’s investment environment must also improve so that investment in water supply and sewage systems can be made in its western regions and social infrastructure can be expanded.

The fundamental reason China’s power generation facilities and energy industry are neglecting the environment while also suffering from low efficiency lies in its government-led planned economy system. Efforts are needed to privatize these industries, which are operated in the manner of state-owned enterprises, and raise them to advanced standards.

The emission and removal of pollutants must be approached economically. There must be accurate diagnosis and prescription, and solutions must be found through economic logic in order for science and technology to be used effectively. In particular, it is necessary to make use of the advanced technologies of developed countries. The competitiveness of Japanese environmental firms, along with the know-how and technical capabilities of Korean companies, would be helpful.

There is also much to be done within South Korea itself. Along with efforts to reduce the causes of fine dust emissions, we need to work on removing dust from the streets. One measure that can be implemented immediately is washing streets with water, which is also an effective method. This is something local governments should be doing, though it is also something they have neglected up to now.

Individuals are responding to fine dust by wearing masks and using air purifiers indoors. The government, too, must show that it can identify concrete actions it can take and put them into practice.

Sung-no Choi, President of the Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

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Original title: 미세먼지 지옥에서 벗어나려면

Author: Sung-no Choi

Date: 2019-03-07

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=press&pn=25&idx=19972