Action, now

As there is no short-term possibility of drastically cutting the use of coal, the dominant fuel in north China and elsewhere, the only viable option in smog management is to curtail the use of cars.

However, we need not rely on expert opinion for incriminating evidence about auto exhaust and its impact. We feel it every day in our eyes, nostrils and ears.

If the public cease to consider private or officials cars as status symbols, then it would be soon realized that cars are no longer a rational choice for mobility in big cities.

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that Beijing’s average car travel speed is only 7.5 miles per hour (12.1 km/h), half as fast as in New York City. This means someone running just under an eight-minute mile could get where they’re going faster than a car in Beijing.

Worse, the stop-and-start traffic means alternating between braking and accelerating, which requires more gas consumption, and thus, more toxic fumes. The report said that Los Angeles incurred more than 3 billion U.S. dollars in pollution-related mortality costs in 2010.

Do we have the figures in China, where the exploding number of cars demands more resources be diverted and devoted to the automobile in the form of roads, elevated and underground highways, parking and other facilities?

Clearly, the success of our efforts to solve the smog problem calls for individual efforts, but it also hinges on the conscience and integrity of our officials and experts.

The name of this weekly column comes from the saying that one man’s meat is another’s poison.