Accept Mother Nature's best gift: cleaner air and clearer water

Thanks to a decline of emissions, China recorded a better air and water quality in the first two months compared with the same period last year, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

Xinhua quoted officials from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment as saying that the number of days with good weather increased during January and February. To be specific, 337 major cities witnessed good weather in 78.3 percent of the days during the first two months, up 7.4 percentage points over the same period last year. At the same time, PM 2.5 density declined by 13.1 percent.

Moreover, 79.3 percent of the country’s ground water surveyed was of good quality, up 4.6 percentage points, Xinhua reported. It quoted ministry officials as saying that a decline in the emission of pollutants had contributed to improved air and water quality. Indeed, one thing many Chinese did at least had been driving less, emitting less. It’s not just abstract figures. We feel it. As the virus is being curbed across China, people have gradually taken off their face masks. What has greeted many of us pleasantly in the past few days is nature’s best gift: a wondrous weather with cleaner air and a beautiful landscape with clearer water.

Our life will return to normal as the virus retreats, but let’s continue to drive less, especially the oil-guzzlers.