In a report published last week, China's Ministry of Environmental Protection found that in 2009,one third of 113 cities surveyed did not meet national air standards. In an effort to improve air quality, the government has pledged to reduce dioxin emissions’ intensity 10% across key industries by 2015.

More than 10,000 enterprises, most involved in the manufacture of chemicals, steel and paper-making as well as garbage incineration, must install efficient filters on their exhaust systems by mid-2011. Dioxin-emitting facilities must also conduct annual inspections with published environmental reports and updated online statistics.

Dioxin is highly poisonous; it affects the immune system and is known to cause cancer. According to the World Health Organization, only small amounts of dioxin are directly absorbed by humans through the air. As a fat-soluble substance, over 90% of dioxin exposure comes through food, with meat, dairy products, fish
and shellfish containing the highest amounts.

China, we appreciate your efforts to improve citizens’ health and restore the environment. Wishing you your eco-endeavors success and that all nations similarly strive to renew the ecosphere for the benefit of all beings. Supreme Master Ching Hai has frequently encouraged governments and individuals alike to tread more lightly in preserving the balance of life on Earth, as during a May 2008 videoconference in South Korea.


http://www.france24.com/en/20101109-china-rein-dioxin-emissions-help-air-quality
http://english.cri.cn/6909/2010/11/09/2021s604070.htm
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/index.html