Smog documentary wins praise from minister
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E-mail China Daily, March 2, 2015
Investigation into steel makers in Beijing's neighboring province of Hebei, exposed the conundrum between a GDP-driven economy and environmental protection.
Chai and Zhang Dawei, an investigator with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, recorded a steel company's illegal emission in Tangshan, a heavy industry center in October, only to find the company escaped punishment.
"It just doesn't work out to sacrifice employment for the environment," says Xiong Yuhui, an official with the environment authorities.
The former journalist goes on to disclose loopholes in car emission regulations, signifying the importance of the matter by quoting another number – 100 million, referring to new cars added to the road in China in the past 10 years.
Seeking a precedent, Chai traveled to London and Los Angeles, two cities considered role models in cleaning once hazardously polluted air.
Chai sums up by calling for individual responsibility in reporting illegal emitters via a hotline.
The documentary has provoked national discussion after going viral online, turning social media into a hot spot of conflicting views.
"Chai Jing's investigation into smog" remained one of the hottest hashtags on Sina Weibo, a Chinese version of Twitter, while the documentary has been viewed more than 17 million times on Youku, a major Chinese video sharing website.
Critics questioned the former anchor's motives, saying it remained uncertain whether a disease suffered by her young daughter was directly caused by smog in China with rumors circulating that she is a regular smoker, while praise also flooded into Weibo applauding Chai's efforts to inspire the public.
The film became so ubiquitous that Chen Jining, newly appointed minister of environmental protection, said he had called Chai to express his appreciation after watching the whole video.
With smog back in the spotlight, Chen is expected to deal with tons of inquisitive reporters in coming weeks when the nation's legislators hold annual meetings in Beijing.
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