Truth Behind Pollution: Nobody's Innocent

Hi all,  The following is a part of a discussion between Mike and I.  I'd like to share it with you.  Pan.  ** I am glad that your friend has finally passed the test.  Word on the news here is that tests for driver's license are brought up to a new height in seriousness and difficulty, so go the training fees.  Until later 2012 the fees for the training classes had been about 3000 - 4000 yuan nationwide, but now the cost being bandied about is around 5000 - 7000 yuan or higher.  Now that's a fortune.  This really turned lots of eyeballs.  I am not looking to have a driver's license myself, so I wouldn't say I am much concerned.  But who knows, there may soon come a day when I find it necessary to get one.  So far I am happy with my e-vehicle.   One of the hottest buzzwords recently is "haze", which seemed to have shrouded most of the big cities in China.  People are talking about PM figures and how horrible things have become.  I am wondering why they appear so shocked and outraged as if the pollution was caused by some governmental conpiracy.  But they should have seen it coming - how can they heat their houses up by burning coal the whole winter across half the country and not expect consequences?  And how can they dream about a cleaner sky and fresher air over the city while every-goddamn-body thinks he and she has to drive his and her own oil-burning car?   People are only having what they deserve, if you would allow me to say so.  It's only a sad fact that the rest of the population - the other half of the country and the non-drivers - have also got to share the brunt of the nuisance.   It's high time people stopped playing ostrich and did some pensive introspection.  It's like living in a fool's paradise to pin your hopes on some organization called "government" to clean up the mess.  It's definitely everybody's business.  The government can't afford to play only the passersby, of course.  Policies have to be re-checked and revised to right the wrongs done in the past, a huge part of which is the rampant indulgement of private vehicles and the overlooking of the importance of public transportation.  It's time people woke up.  We all sinned shitting the bed.  It's up to ourselves to change the sheet.     Pan.