ClearingtheairaboutpollutionByRaymondZhou(ChinaDaily)Updated:2015-03-0307:54CommentsPrintMailLargeMediumSmallUndertheDome,aself-financedmovieaboutChina'senvironmentalmeltdown,isanInternetphenomenonthathaspromptedmillionsofcallstogreenhotlinesandseenbitteraccusationsleveledatthefilmmaker,asRaymondZhoureports.It'snoteworthythatthemost-watchedChinesedocumentarydidnotdebutinacinemaorontelevision.UndertheDomegarneredmorethan155millionhitsinthefirst24hoursafteritpremieredonhalfadozenChinesewebsitesonFeb28,anaudiencethatmoviesandTVshowscanonlydreamabout.NumerousrecommendationsonsocialmediaturnedUndertheDomeintothetalkofthenation.Justasitsetsamilestoneinpubliccommunications,thefilmtranscendsplatformsandgenres.It'sa103-minutedocumentary,whichissometimesbrokendownintosmallersegmentsforeasydigestion;it'sonecontinuousspeechandPowerPoint-enabledpresentation;andit'sbilledinChineseasaninvestigativereport.Whateveritiscalled,itwasobviouslyinspiredbyAnInconvenientTruth,AlGore's2006Oscar-winningwarningontheworldwidethreatofglobalwarming.ChaiJing'sworklivesuptothatcomparisonorlikelyinspiration.Someprominentviewers,suchasLiuChun,formerheadofPhoenixTV,wentonestepfurtherbysayingthatit'sactuallybetterthanGore'sfilm.Chai,acelebritytelevisionreporterandformeranchorwithChinaCentralTelevision,isknownforherBarbaraWalters-styleapproachtojournalism,whichmadeherworkmoreaccessibletothepublicbutwascriticizedbysomeas"tootouchy-feely".InUndertheDome,sheuseshernewborndaughterastheraisond'etreforlaunchinghercrusadeagainstsmog."Ihadneverbeenafraidofairpollutionorwornasurgicalmask,"shesaysinthedocumentary."ButnowasIholdanewlifeinmyarmsandfeedher,Ibegintotrulyhavefear."InapreviousinterviewwithSouthernWeekly,Chairevealedthatshehesitatedforalongtimeaboutincludingherbabyinthefilm,whichwasindependentlyproducedandself-financed.Sheprobablyforesawthekindofcriticismthatwouldbehurledherway.It'snotsurprisingthatsuchamassivehithaseliciteddiverseresponses.What'strulyamazingisthattheplauditscamefromacrosstheideologicalspectrumaswell.Inthemovie,Chai,withthehelpofscientists,definessmoganditscompositionandhowtoeliminateit.Mostofusalreadyhavesomeofthatinformation,butthemovieputsalltheindividualpiecesintoperspective.AccordingtoChai'sinvestigation,fossilfuelsaccountfor60percentofChina'sairbornePM2.5pollutants(particulatematterwithadiameterof2.5micrometersorless).Asshowninthemovie,theenvironmentalwatchdogisoftentoothlessandhelplesswhenguardingourair.Someofthelawshavebeeninplaceforyears,buthaveneverbeenapplied.Asamatteroffact,themovieexplainsthatbusinessesarepressurednottoabidebythelawsbecauseviolatingthemcarrieslittleornocost,whiletoeingthelineinvariablybumpsupcosts.China'spetroleumandsteelindustriesareexposedasthebiggestsourcesofairpollution.ThepetroleumsectorisaStatemonopoly,settinglowerstandardsofcleanlinessforitsproductseventhoughcustomersarewillingandabletopayforcleanerfuel,allinthenameofenergysecurity.Thesteelindustrysuffersfromaglutofcapacityandreceiveslargedosesofgovernmentsubsidies-thisinthenameofmaintainingthemomentumofeconomicgrowth.Chaidoesnotstopthere.Shegoesontolistthethingsordinarypeoplecandotohelprestorecleanairinthecountry.HalfofBeijing'sdrivers,shesays,onlyusetheirmotorvehicleswithinaradiusof5kilometersoftheirhomes,while12percenttravelwithin2km,and7percentwithinjust1km.Chaiencouragespeopletotakepublictransportwh...
