China's ability to tackle air pollution doubtful, says veteran US policymaker
US policymaker casts doubt on capital's ability to reclaim its blue skies, citing lack of detailed emissions data and targeted approaches
A veteran US policymaker responsible for cleaning up the smoggy skies of Los Angeles decades ago has voiced concern over Beijing's ability to tackle its notorious air pollution.
James Lents, former executive officer of California's South Coast Air Quality Management District, said Beijing and other Chinese cities might not have sufficient people who adequately understood the pollution problem, and that they needed to come up with better long-term plans.
In an interview with the Post on the sidelines of a Sino-US forum on air pollution, Lents said comprehensive pollution data and targeted approaches had been vital in removing smog in the Californian city.
"It took us almost 40 years to clean up," said Lents, who oversaw policies to clean up Los Angeles' skies, adding that they made mistakes and learned lessons in the process.
Beijing and Los Angeles were comparable, the policymaker said, as both cities had a dense population, heavy traffic and similar geology, with surrounding mountain ranges that could trap air pollutants.
But with better technologies available now, it could take Beijing a much shorter time to reclaim its blue skies, he said.