Comparative Analysis: Environmental Issues in Beijing and Los Angeles

This essay delves into the environmental issues confronting megacities, with a specific focus on Beijing and Los Angeles. It begins by defining megacities and highlighting their associated advantages and disadvantages, particularly concerning environmental impacts. The essay then provides a detailed examination of air pollution in both cities, analyzing its causes, effects, and the responses of governmental and non-governmental entities. In Beijing, the essay highlights severe air pollution, its impact on public health, and the government's response. In Los Angeles, the essay examines the city's air pollution challenges, including smog and ozone, and the impact of geographic factors and industrial activities. The essay concludes with a comparative analysis, contrasting the contributing factors, impacts, and approaches to tackling these environmental issues in both cities, providing a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and potential solutions in the context of megacity environmental sustainability.

Running head: MEGACITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Megacities and Environmental Issues
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1Megacities and Environmental Issues
Introduction:
With the changes in the population scale at the global level, the concept of city has
also seen go through certain changes. Previously, city was defined as the place which was
regarded as the political capital of the state or the economic capital of the state. However, the
concept has now changed and a number of other factors have been attached with the concept
of city, and now there are three divisions attached with the concept, city, metro city or
metropolis and mega city or megalopolis (Arcaute et al., 2015). In the following essay, the
focus will essentially be on the megalopolises or the mega cities. A megacity is defined,
according to the United Nations, a metropolitan consisting a population of more than 10
million. Another definition regards that a city can be called a megalopolis or a mega city if it
has a population of at least 2000 persons per square kilometer. Therefore, in the recent times
the concept of city is regarded with the human capital that it consists, and with a growing
number of population, the megacities are characterized with certain pros and cons. A
megacity is seen with a number of amenities provided to the people. The lifestyle, and the
commutation system in a mega city is tailored for the advantages of the people and the
population is presented with all kinds of amenities, from basics to luxury (Fang & Yu, 2017).
A mega city is also seen with a series of opportunities for the population, in all aspects of the
social life, educational, political and economic. However, along with an easy and comfortable
life, a mega city is also characterized with certain issues, mostly from an environmental
perspective. The megacity is essentially associated with an increase in the slum section within
the city periphery. Along with this, in a mega city, there is a dominance of crimes. It is seen
that in a mega city the rate of crime is more than a metropolis (Pacoine, 2013). However,
along with the social issues, the mega cities are also perceived with increased rate of
environmental issues. As the mega cities are characterized with a high rate of population,
there is a higher tendency of involving the newer technologies and western architects. The

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mega cities are expanding both, under the water and is also trying to touch the sky, and with
an increase in the tendency to have a comfortable life, the people are lacking fresh air to
breath and cleaner water to drink. The environmental changes are also keeping a pace with
the changes in the developments among the lives of the people of the city.
Therefore, in the following essay, the environmental issues faced by the two of the
most important mega cities of the world, Beijing and Los Angeles, will be discussed and a
comparison will be made among the issues perceived in these two cities and the approaches
to these problems taken by the same will be analyzed.
The main focus of the issues will be on pollution and the effects of climate changes in
these two mega cities, as among a many environmental issues, that the cities are perceived
with, climate changes and an increased rate of pollution, especially air and water, are
impacting on the population of these countries. Beijing is essentially faced with Air pollution
and Los Angles is faced with issues related to climate changes. Therefore, a detailed analysis
of the issues faced by the two cities are discussed in the following.
Air Pollution in Beijing:
The city is faced with a number of environmental challenges, especially related to air
and water. Thousands of dead pigs floating in the river, and an increased rate of patients with
lung problems, provide the evidence for that. The rate of Air pollution in Beijing is has
become so impenetrable that the U.S. Embassy is regarding as ‘impenetrable’, and there are
certain towns in the area, which are regarding as the “cancer villages”, because of an
increased rate of cancer amongst the population. The city is now enlisted among the ‘Top 10
most Polluted Place on Earth”, and the government of the country has not taken any steps
regarding this, rather they are seen to be mainlining a stony silence towards the
environmental challenges (Wang et al., 2013). According to the UN report, published, prior

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to the World environmental Day, which had Air Pollution as the theme, stated that the air
pollution perceived in Beijing is affecting the life of the population of the country and is
standing against the human rights that are to be enjoyed by the population of the city. David
Boyd, the Special Rapporteur of Human Rights of United Nations, stated that ensuring clean
air falls under the responsibilities of the governments of the countries and not being able to
keep it falls under the violation of the human rights, health and well- being. The specialist
was of the opinion that it is the responsibility of the governments of the country to ensure a
healthy environment for its people (Zhang et al., 2016). Air pollution is one of the major
challenges that the all the countries and the cities are faced with, but in case of Beijing, the
problem has reached beyond the index, and immediate steps are necessary. There is an
increased rate of patients getting admitted due to lung cancer or other issues, all related to the
air pollution. The increased rate of air pollution is also affecting the bio diversity and the
climate of the city (Tang et al., 2017). The chronic is affect not only seen upon the people of
the city, but also across the animals and the greenery index of the city. Therefore, such a
circumstance needs immediate actions, and according to the United Nations, though there are
certain plans and steps taken by the government, but they are not enough, considering the
impact of the air pollution.
Air Pollution in Los Angeles:
Los Angeles is also listed among the Top 10 most Polluted Cities, as the city is
consistently failing to meet the federal standards of the quality of Air. It is situated in the
worst Ozone Zone. The city is placed at the basin of the Pacific, in the West, and with several
mountain ranges at its feet, in the East. Therefore, the city enjoys an amazing positioning, and
is supposed to enjoy a pollution free fresh air. However, with the increasing population and
with the increasing inclusion of the technological advances the air of the city has become
highly polluted (Gatto et al., 2014). Also, the disadvantage of the positioning of the city, is

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that it is highly susceptible to the ozone layers. The increased use of the vehicles and the
heavy industries have directly contributed to the formation of the high level of particulate
matter. The scientists have shown that the particles float around the air of the city. The
increased rates of heavy industries and the rigorous use of vehicles have contributed in sunny
days and low rates of rainfall, which then contributes in ozone formation, and the particulate
matters, and as it is claimed by the scientists, the city perceives a strong relationship between
the Air Quality Index and Ozone Levels. It is also seen that the city is also enlisted in one of
the smoggiest city of the country, which are generally formed by the combination of the
primary and the secondary pollutants. This affects the human life of the city as well as the
animal life of the same. Also, the heavy industries of the country are posed near to some of
the neighborhoods, and this is increasingly affecting the human life of the city. The gathering
at the ozone level is another factor that contributes in the formation of smog in the city.
According to the environmental Protection Agency, ozone can cause permanent lung
damages and can also cause continuous asthma attacks. Another positional disadvantage that
the city is perceived with is that, as the city is positioned at the basin of the pacific,
surrounded by a number of mountain ranges, therefore, the smoke or thee polluted air
circulates within the city periphery (Ritz et al., 2014). The smog and the toxic particles get
stagnated in the middle of the atmosphere of the city with nowhere to escape, and this
adversely affects the human health and the biodiversity of the place. According to the Air
Quality Index, some of the parts of the city has touched the “maroon” twice (Volk et al.,
2013). The scientists are of the opinion that the Thomas Fire has also contributed in the poor
air quality of the area. The country has seen to be taking measures to fight the environmental
hazards since 1960s, but it could not improve the situation much. The city had first
introduced The Clean Air Act, in 1970, to fight the smoggy situation of the city, but the

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results have not got its results. However, the South coast Air Quality Management District
has modified the air rules and had made the laws and regulation stricter (Jerrett et al., 2013).
Reflection:
The present essay provides a comparative analysis of the way the two cities are
affected by the environmental factors and the kinds of impacts the air pollution has made
upon these two areas and also the measures to fight the air pollution has also been presented
in the following essay. The comparative analysis is effective while understanding about a
concept. For example, in this particular case, Air Pollution is perceived in all the places but
when these two areas are analyzed, then it could be seen that, although both the areas are
affected by the same issue, yet there are certain areas of difference.
Firstly, Los Angeles is perceived with the problem of Air Pollution for a very long
time, since 1950s, while the increased rate of air pollution in Beijing, is a comparatively a
new phenomenon.
Secondly, while, the contributing factors for air pollution in both the cities are similar,
that is, increased usage of Diesel Vehicles, increased use of technologies, initiation of the
heavy engineering industries, but there are certain points of difference, that is, in Los Angles,
there are other factors that potentially contribute in the increased rate of air pollution. The
Thomas Fire is one among them, which has intensified then situation for the place in the
recent years. Along with this, the proximity of the ozone layer and the continuous formation
of the ozone in the areas of Los Angeles, are also a major factor that contribute in the Air
Pollution of the areas. The situation for Los Angeles got more intensified in the recent times
because of this. Also, the formation of the particles had contributed in the excessive
formation of smog, which was not much a problem in Beijing.

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Further, there are points of differences in the impact of the Air Pollution as well.
While the Beijing is seen with increased rates of cancer, Los Angeles is seen with increased
rates of people with Asthma problems. Also, it is seen that the population of the city is more
affected with the wild life pollutants, which was not perceived in Beijing. According to the
scientists, the wild life pollutants ate more detrimental for the population, as they cannot be
seen, and therefore, is more difficult to treat, as they have a multitude of variants. This is
especially true for the Bay Area of the place. The population of the place is increasingly
facing issues related to lung problems.
Furthermore, there are also differences in the approaches of dealing with the problem.
While, the matters of Air Pollution are dealt by the government of China in Beijing, and the
United Nations, the problems regarding the same are dealt with certain private associations in
Los Angeles and the United Nations. Also, it was seen that in Beijing, the government
stepped in to deal with the situation much late, but in case of Los Angeles, the situation is
being dealt by the government for a very long time, and the city is using the clean energy for
a long time now. But, at the same time, it can be also said, that the regulations at Beijing are
stricter, as it had completely changed all the vehicles into electric vehicles, and Los Angles
will still need a long time to reach there.
Therefore, it can be said that the comparative analysis provides a better understanding
of the concepts and a better understanding of the reasons that the concepts are holding.

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