A documentary called Under the Dome that focuses on air pollution in China has raised global attention regarding the country's pollution crisis. With the growing environmental movements across the world and the awareness caused by Under the Dome, China may be forced to address the country's situation of air pollution.

The Chinese government issued orders via its propaganda section for sites to take down the documentary a few days after it went viral on the Internet. People in China blame the government for not taking appropriate measures to cut down air pollution emissions, which are considered a contributor to global warming.

Chen Jining, the newly appointed Environment Minister of China, praised the documentary for highlighting problems. China's president, Xi Jinping, has also revealed plans to punish violators who pollute air.

It seems that the documentary has made Chinese policy makers think more about the serious consequences of air pollution. Premier Li Keqiang, in remarks at a news conferene at the close of the National People's Congress, also called for a cut in the air pollution that affects the quality of life for many Chinese people.

President Xi needs support to fight air pollution in the country, suggests Xiao Qiang, an adjunct professor at the School of Information at the University of California Berkley and the founder and editor-in-chief of China Digital Times, a bi-lingual China news website. However, Xiao suggests Xi does not want the public to have real participation in combating air pollution. President Xi was also involved in talks with U.S. President Barack Obama over air pollution issues and agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the question arises how fast Chinese authorities are ready to take action.

The Under the Dome documentary has created a lot of heated debate in China over air pollution. Wang Tao of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy suggests that relevant authorities should be given enough power to tackle the issue.

"The environment ministry certainly wants to get more power, and it can see huge pressure from the public for a better environment," says Tao. "But there is resistance from vested interests, and a power struggle over who should lead this process, in terms of policies and setting standards."

The coal burned by China each year is more than the combined amount of coal burnt by the rest of the world. Factories, oil companies and vehicles contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases. However, they avoid environmental impacts and associated punishments. Experts believe that relevant authorities have to take strict actions against air pollution and punish those who do not follow the rules.

People in China hope that the Chinese government takes swift steps to fight air pollution as soon as possible and reduce its impact on the environment as well as on the people living in China.

Here's the documentary by Chai Jing, a former state television reporter, that has sparked the debate:

Photo: Global Panorama | Flickr