Page 28 - THE SOUTH CHINA BUSINESS JOURNAL
P. 28
MMUNITY NEWS
Public Disclosure of Real-
time Pollution Data in China:
Impacts on Individual
Behavior and Health
By the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions (SCCEI)
Despite hazardous pollution levels representative longitudinal survey. The
in the 2000s, China did not have a CFPS was used to compute additional
systematic air quality monitoring system, local outcomes.
and dissemination of limited official data
was highly controlled or forbidden. In To assess changes in pollution avoidance
response to public outcry over the lack of behavior, researchers tracked shopping
transparency, China launched a real-time trips using data from all credit and debit
air quality monitoring program in 2013. card transactions at physical stores
The program published pollution data from between 2011 and 2016 from Union
sensors in 337 cities across the country that Pay, China’s only inter-bank payment
covered 98% of the country’s pollution. How clearinghouse, and gathered air purifier
did the sudden and widespread availability sales data from Growth from Knowledge, a
of pollution information affect household market research firm.
behavior and individual health in China?
To determine the impact of behavior
The data. Researchers sought to measure changes on mortality, researchers analyzed
changes in public awareness of pollution, changes in mortality rates derived from
pollution avoidance behavior, and mortality a representative sample of China’s
before and after the rollout of the program. population collected by the Chinese Center
To do so, they first gathered data on for Disease Control and Prevention’s
pollution levels published through China’s Disease Surveillance Points system.
official monitoring program coupled with
data from satellites operated by NASA. Better access to pollution information
Then, to measure public awareness of intensifies public concern. Researchers
pollution, they analyzed trends in pollution- found that the monitoring program sharply
related words in the People’s Daily, a improved public access to pollution
leading government newspaper, release of information and dramatically increased
pollution-related mobile applications from households’ awareness of pollution issues.
Apple’s App Store, and internet searches After the program’s launch in 2013, the
using pollution-related words from frequency of pollution keywords like “smog”
Baidu, China’s most widely used search appearing in the People’s Daily, a leading
engine. Researchers also measured public official newspaper, jumped from 2 to 16
attitudes toward pollution using the China days per month. In addition, the number
Family Panel Studies (CFPS), a nationally of pollution-related applications available
for download on the Apple App Store
25 AMCHAM SOUTH CHINA
Public Disclosure of Real-
time Pollution Data in China:
Impacts on Individual
Behavior and Health
By the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions (SCCEI)
Despite hazardous pollution levels representative longitudinal survey. The
in the 2000s, China did not have a CFPS was used to compute additional
systematic air quality monitoring system, local outcomes.
and dissemination of limited official data
was highly controlled or forbidden. In To assess changes in pollution avoidance
response to public outcry over the lack of behavior, researchers tracked shopping
transparency, China launched a real-time trips using data from all credit and debit
air quality monitoring program in 2013. card transactions at physical stores
The program published pollution data from between 2011 and 2016 from Union
sensors in 337 cities across the country that Pay, China’s only inter-bank payment
covered 98% of the country’s pollution. How clearinghouse, and gathered air purifier
did the sudden and widespread availability sales data from Growth from Knowledge, a
of pollution information affect household market research firm.
behavior and individual health in China?
To determine the impact of behavior
The data. Researchers sought to measure changes on mortality, researchers analyzed
changes in public awareness of pollution, changes in mortality rates derived from
pollution avoidance behavior, and mortality a representative sample of China’s
before and after the rollout of the program. population collected by the Chinese Center
To do so, they first gathered data on for Disease Control and Prevention’s
pollution levels published through China’s Disease Surveillance Points system.
official monitoring program coupled with
data from satellites operated by NASA. Better access to pollution information
Then, to measure public awareness of intensifies public concern. Researchers
pollution, they analyzed trends in pollution- found that the monitoring program sharply
related words in the People’s Daily, a improved public access to pollution
leading government newspaper, release of information and dramatically increased
pollution-related mobile applications from households’ awareness of pollution issues.
Apple’s App Store, and internet searches After the program’s launch in 2013, the
using pollution-related words from frequency of pollution keywords like “smog”
Baidu, China’s most widely used search appearing in the People’s Daily, a leading
engine. Researchers also measured public official newspaper, jumped from 2 to 16
attitudes toward pollution using the China days per month. In addition, the number
Family Panel Studies (CFPS), a nationally of pollution-related applications available
for download on the Apple App Store
25 AMCHAM SOUTH CHINA
