四位普通中国人的环保故事

人民日报记者 寇江泽 史自强 刘畅

邹毅:长年坚持拍摄大气状况的环保达人

 

北京市怀柔区雁栖镇西栅子村旁的箭扣长城,星期六时常迎来一群户外运动爱好者。他们的登山包上都绑着一个白色塑料袋,不时捡拾路上的垃圾。他们有一个统一的名字:“箭扣客”。

“我几年前攀登附近的慕田峪长城时,发现了这里。太美了!”“箭扣客”发起者邹毅说,箭扣长城名气越来越大,垃圾也越来越多,所以他发起“箭扣客”,在长城捡垃圾。从2013年9月至今,已有超过3200位“箭扣客”参与捡垃圾活动。

邹毅是个不折不扣的“环保达人”。他曾经参加过一次环保活动。活动上,每个参与者都填写了一份调查问卷,问题包括“你乘坐什么交通工具来参加活动”等。活动结束后,每个人都收到一封信,罗列了他们的“能耗记录”。“这让我意识到,任何社会活动都会带来能源消耗和碳排放。此后,我选择了绿色的生活方式。”邹毅说。

 

为了让更多人关注大气污染治理,选择绿色生活方式,从2013年1月起,邹毅每天早上以同一地点作为背景,拍摄天气状况,发布在微博上,还把这些图片做成组图。

 

邹毅向媒体展示他拍摄的2014年北京空气质量组图。

(图片来源:中华环境网)

 

“虽然通过照片判断天气好坏不是十分科学,但是数据太抽象,把一年的照片组合起来,一下子就看明白了。”邹毅说。目前,他发布的组照在微博上阅读量已经超过了5000万次。

慢慢地,邹毅身边很多朋友的心态和观点发生了转变,开始意识到,像防治雾霾这类的环保问题,需要政府、公众一同努力。

 

这种变化,从人民日报日前的一项关于公众治理雾霾、保护环境的参与意愿调查结果也可看出。在回答“为了治霾,您愿意支付一定费用、花一些时间或忍受一些不便吗?”这个问题时,选择“不行,治霾是政府和污染企业的事情,和我没多大关系”的网友,占受访者的36%;选择“愿意,同呼吸共命运,人人都要节约资源保护环境,使生活方式绿色低碳”的网友,占受访者的64%。

 

“从现在做起,从身边的小事做起,改变那些对环境不友好的生活方式。少开车,多坐公交,少放一些烟花,节约用水、用电……简单、坚持、习惯,从一点一滴做起。”邹毅说,每个人都做出一点点改变,以绿色标准要求自己,虽然个人力量有限,但集合起来,这种力量是巨大的。

 

(小标题)马军:推动排放大户公开信息的民间人士

在手机上下载打开一款蔚蓝地图APP,就可以实时查看全国重点污染源各个废气排放口的实时监测数据,包括污染物浓度、标准限值、超标倍数、排气量等,识别身边的“排放大户”,还能够通过社交媒体便捷地分享数据,并通过互动平台进行“微举报”。

 

研发这款APP的,是一个名叫“公众环境研究中心”的环保民间组织。中心主任马军介绍,蔚蓝地图APP自2015年4月上线以来,已接受了公众上万次的举报,推动650多家企业做出整改说明,其中不乏大型国企、央企。

“信息公开是公众参与环保的前提和保障。公众掌握了真实环境信息,才能做出绿色选择,推动控制污染。只有广泛的公众参与,才能为环保提供终极动力。”马军说,目前全国9000余家污染源已按要求在省级政府平台公开在线监测数据,他建议各级环保部门进一步落实法律要求,监督整治。

   在蔚蓝地图APP的“晒晒”板块,黑臭河举报已直接接入“全国城市黑臭水体整治信息发布”平台。马军表示,关于废气污染源举报,公众环境研究中心将与有关部门沟通,争取接入环境保护部开设的12369官方环境污染举报平台。

 

(小标题)李伟:为了好空气愿意多掏钱的河北村民

河北省固安县牛驼镇南王起营村,村民李伟家是一幢二层小楼。用上燃气取暖后,尽管冬日里屋外寒气逼人,屋里却是暖意融融。

“我家的采暖面积比较大。以前烧煤的时候,一冬天下来少说也要用五六吨。添煤是个麻烦事,点个火得戴着帽子、手套,身上全是黑灰。冬天里还得裹着棉衣棉裤去炉房添火,冻得够呛。”李伟说,改用燃气后,省了好多事儿。

进入冬季以来,北方地区多次遭遇大面积雾霾天气,严控燃煤成为防治雾霾的当务之急。紧邻北京南部的固安县,2016年7月被环境保护部划定为“禁煤区”。而早在2014年,以经营苗圃为特色产业的南王起营村,就成为了全县“煤改气”的试点村,168户人家,拆掉了煤炉,安装了天然气壁挂炉。

从烧煤改烧气,费用是老百姓担心的问题。“以前烧煤,整个采暖季大概花费6000元左右,现在将近7000元。”李伟说,燃煤取暖是村里的传统,开始也有些不习惯。但是,“我们去外地,走到哪里,都有人在谈论雾霾这个话题。霾不仅影响健康,而且不便于生活出行,比如车辆限号、高速封路,我们做苗木生意很不方便。所以尽管‘煤改气’后每年要多花好几百元,但大伙都能理解,也愿意接受。”

南王起营村在推进“煤改气”的同时,也开始利用太阳能供暖。村支部书记王权告诉记者,河北省农业厅太阳能采暖试点项目落在了村里,目前有10户居民已经用上了太阳能。

 

(小标题)郑腾飞:致力于环保教育的海归博士

 

郑腾飞“红”了。

去年底,郑腾飞在互联网上发表了一篇文章,表达了面对雾霾,除了督促政府履职尽责,民众也需反观自身的看法。她认为,技术革新和环保教育有助于雾霾问题的解决,而每一个人要先从节制自身做起。

 

文章被广泛转载,但质疑声也接连不断。许多网友留言,指责她为政府开脱,模糊了雾霾治理的主体责任。郑腾飞觉得很委屈,她说,她只是希望大家意识到,环境恶化是因为我们的需求超过了环境承载,我们可以做得更多。

 

郑腾飞是一个环保主义者。孩子们喜欢叠纸飞机,她坐地铁时,会顺手把一些小广告收回来,有时还会用学校里使用过的打印纸。她觉得,这样可以废物利用,节约资源。孩子喜欢读书,郑腾飞却很少买书,主要是借书。她愿意为这种循环、共享的模式付费。她希望社区内有更多资源能共享,比如流动的图书馆。

在郑腾飞看来,这些年,中国经济发展很快,但环保意识有待提高。2014年从美国麻省理工大学获得化学博士学位后,她回到上海,投身于教育行业。

 

她觉得,下一代的观念和意识将决定未来,因此要让孩子从小懂得环保、节约和节制。一方面家长要以身作则,更重要的是,让孩子们亲近自然,对世界、对生命拥有更深的理解和感情。这是郑腾飞眼中教育的价值,也是人与环境达成和谐的道路。

 

为鼓励市民低碳出行,安徽省淮南市在市区主要路段建成涵盖300个站点、1万辆自行车、1.2万个锁车器的公共自行车租赁服务系统,市民通过办理租车卡等方式可在1小时内免费使用。图为2月13日,当地市民骑行1小时免费的公共自行车。(人民视觉)

 

2016年4月,江西省新余市渝水区电工厂社区开展“同一个地球,我们齐呵护”主题活动,居民持两个任意型号的废旧电池即可换取绿植一盆,号召居民从身边小事做起,关注环保、关注地球、关注家园,倡导绿色生活。图为当地居民在用废电池换献花绿植。(人民视觉)

 

 

 

 

 

Four Chinese people’s stories in environmental protection

By Kou Jiangze, Shi Ziqiang and Liu Chang from People’s Daily

 

Zou Yi: An enthusiast of environmental protection who takes photos of the sky everyday

Jiankou, a section of the Great Wall located beside Xizhazi village, Huairou district of Beijing, is frequently visited by a group of outdoor sport fans on Saturday, who collect garbage with the white plastic bags tied to their camping bags. The visitors all come from a volunteer group named “Giant Gooo-go Great Wall.”

“I spotted this beautiful place when visiting the nearby Mutianyu section of the Great Wall several years ago,” said Zou Yi, initiator of the volunteer group. The Jiankou Great Wall has seen more and more trash after it gained popularity, therefore Zou started collecting garbage with the volunteers since September 2013. By now, more than 3,200 volunteers have joined the campaign.

He was once asked during an environmental protection activity how he got to the event. After the activity was finished, he received a letter from the organizers which listed a record of the transportation energy they had consumed on the way. This made Zou realize that each social activity involves energy consumption and carbon emission. “Ever since, I have chosen a green lifestyle,” Zou said.

In order to draw more public attention on air pollution control and a green lifestyle, Zou has posted photos of the sky taken by him in the same place every day on social media platforms.

“Although judging air quality by photos is not very scientific, the combination of a year’s pictures is quite informative,” Zou explained. By now, his pictures have been viewed for more than 50 million times.

Zou made his friends realize that environmental issues, such as smog, need joint efforts from both the governments and the public.

Such mindset shift was also echoed by a recent survey about public treatment of smog and environmental protection conducted by People’s Daily. Thirty six percent of the respondents consider smog treatment to be an issue of the governments and polluting enterprises, while 64 percent believe that everyone is responsible for environmental protection.

“We should start from subtle things in our daily life and change the lifestyles that are unfriendly to the environment,” Zou proposed, adding that choosing public transportation, reducing fireworks, as well as saving water and electricity will all contribute to the environment.

Though the subtle change made by each individual only has limited influence, it “will be a great power when united,” Zou added.

Ma Jun: A man devoted to emitters’ information disclosure

The Blue Map is a mobile application that enables users to check real-time monitoring data of discharging outlets of major pollution sources, including pollutant concentration, standard limits, exceeding rate, and emission. Users can also share the information through social media and report each case through the interactive platform of the app.

The application is developed by a non-governmental organization named Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE). According to Ma Jun, director of IPE, the application has received tens of thousands of reports after it was launched in April 2015.

More than 650 enterprises, including big State-owned companies, were urged for rectification as a result, Ma added.

“Information disclosure is the premise of the public participation in the cause of environmental protection,” said Ma, adding that the public will choose a green lifestyle and control pollution after they are given the information about environment, while a greater participation will improve the environment ultimately.

Currently, a total of more than 9,000 enterprises have publicized monitoring data on provincial governmental platforms as required. Ma also suggested environmental protection departments at all levels to better implement related laws and regulations.

Hebei villager Li Wei: Willing to pay more for cleaner air

 

After using natural gas for home heating, Li Wei’s family can spend a warmer winter at their house, which forms a sharp contrast to the chilling temperature outside.

 

Living in a two-storey house in Nanwangqiying village, Gu’an county in North China’s Hebei Province, Li said that natural gas heating has made his life easier.

 

“There is big space in my house needs to be heated. Before using natural gas, we needed at least five to six tons of coal for heating during the winter. Lighting a fire was inconvenient, because I had to wear a hat and a pair of gloves and usually turned out to be covered by ashes after a fire was lit,” Li said.

 

Cutting coal use has been given the highest priority to prevent smog in many smog-blanketed northern China in the winter season. Gu’an county, a close neighbor to the south of Beijing specializing in plant nursery, has been forbidden to use coal heating by the Ministry of Environmental Protection last July.

 

As early as 2014, the Nanwangqiying village has become a pilot village for the program of transformation from coal to natural gas in Gu’an, with 168 households having uninstalled stoves and started to use natural gas heaters.

 

The cost of using natural gas is a concern for the villagers. Li said that the annual cost of natural gas is nearly 7,000 yuan ($1,018), slightly higher than 6,000 yuan for using coal.

 

“We first felt unaccustomed to gas heating, which breaks away from our old tradition of using coal,” Li admitted. “But we heard people elsewhere frequently talking about smog. It is not only harmful to our health, but also causes vehicle restrictions and highway blocks that affect our daily life, trips and business,” Li said, saying he and his fellow villagers could understand and accept the extra cost.

 

In the meantime, the Nanwangqiying village has started to utilize solar heating. Ten households of the village now have access to solar energy, in a pilot program of solar heating carried out in Hebei.

 

Zheng Tengfei: A ‘returnee’ committed to environmental education

Zheng Tengfei published an article on the internet at the end of last year, in which she urged people to reflect on their own rather than pouring complaints to government in the face of smog. Zheng believes that technological innovations and environmental education contribute to solution of the smog, but everyone must start from themselves.

The article was both praised and criticized. Many blamed her as making excuses for government. Zheng explained that she just wants everyone to realize that the environmental degradation is a result of human demand which has surpassed the tolerance capacity of the environment, and people can do more.

Being an environmentalist, she always collects advertising leaflets in the subways and wasted learning material for children to make paper planes, believing it could save resources. Her children like reading, but she prefers borrowing books from libraries than buying them.

She is willing to pay for such mode of circulation and sharing, hoping more resources could be shared, such as mobile libraries.

In Zheng’s eyes, the Chinese public’s awareness of environmental protection still needs to be improved despite the rapid economic development in recent years. She returned to Shanghai and devoted herself to education after receiving a PhD in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US in 2014.

According to Zheng, the ideas and awareness of the next generation will determine the future, so the children must know how to protect the environment and save energy. To this end, parents should act as an example, and more importantly, children must get close to nature to obtain a deep understanding and love toward the world and life.

Pics

Zou Yi shows his photos of the Beijing sky taken in 2014. (Photo by zhhjw.org)

 

To encourage low-carbon travelling, Huainan, Anhui province has built a public bicycle rental service system covering 300 sites, 10,000 bicycles and 12,000 lockers in the main sections of the urban area. Local residents can enjoy a one-hour free ride. (Photo by People’s Daily)

 

In April 2016, an environmental activity was carried out in a community in Xinyu, Jiangxi province. Residents could exchange for plants with any two types of waste batteries. The activity aimed to call upon residents to start from subtle things and pay attention to environmental protection, advocating a green life style.  (Photo by People’s Daily)