Cancer is Now the Leading Cause of Death in China

http://www.grist.org/pollution/2011-05-25-cancer-now-leading-cause-of-death-in-china

Summary: Two of China's biggest cities, Shanghai and Beijing, have 30% lung cancer deaths of all cancer deaths in their cities. This is because of particulates in the air. The amount of particulates in the air in those cities is 4 times the amount of particulates in New York CIty. Polluted air doesn't only bring about more cancers, but also heart disease, respiratory disease, and stroke. "Reports from the countryside reveal a dangerous epidemic of "cancer villages" linked to pollution from some of the very industries motivating China's explosive economy", Earth Policy Institute explains of China. In recent years, thousands of children have been poisoned by mines, shelters, and battery plants. The air is just not safe. And China is not the only country responsible for this issue. A lot of other countries take their waste and dump it in China.

Reflection: I never actually knew how polluted China really was. Just like we watched in the trash video in class, China is polluted everywhere. There are fields of dumps that are just lying around and the city streets are pilled high with trash. Also, the big industry in China contributes to this pollution as well. Burning coal is putting more and more sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in the air. It is becoming extremely unsafe. The government really needs to take action on this. I remember learning about how China has bad quality water back in the hydrosphere unit. It just shows how very unsafe the country is. China is not only the leading power of the world, but also a leading country of pollution.

Questions:
1. What other diseases other then cancer have been brought about in China from the air pollution?
2. If you were someone living in China, how could you help this issue?
3. How could the government contribute to preventing this issue from getting worse?
4. Do you think America is becoming more like this?