It would be unfair to accuse either the central or municipal and local governments of failing to conduct quick response against the unprecedented air pollution since last November. As a matter of fact, there were notable immediate actions taken warning the public of potential danger of the sustaining dust forthcoming.

• National weather broadcasting program repeatedly alert urging residents in the fog affected areas to “avoid outdoor activities” and to “wear protective mask” when they have to go out.
 

• Shanghai set pilot real-time report on AQI by collecting updated monitoring results of six major pollutants every four hours since November 16, 2012, two months ahead of the hazardous nationwide smog strike;
 

• Beijing Bureau of Environmental Protection issued the Beijing Contingency Plans for Heavily Air Polluted Days  (temporary) on mid-December, 2012, categorizing three levels of heavy air pollution and regulating six mandatory emission reduction measures, including suspending all outdoor activities in educational institutes and cutting down 30% usage of cars in administrative agencies when the AQI reader exceeds 500;
 

• Jiangsu Province, one of the most economic dynamic provinces located in the affluent east-western area, was drafting regulations specifically on particle matters. According to the regulations, the environment department would be empowered to shut down environmental unfriendly projects, and be entitled to impose punitive taxes or fines on construction sites generating severe dust pollution.  
     

However, improvement in the air quality requires lasting efforts - as the city of Los Angeles has been regulating its air quality since the 1950s and has never yet met federal standards – and therefore patience that the public was unable to offer when they have to endure the thick smog and worry about potential disease caused by such seemingly lethal air. Dissatisfaction and anxiety prevailed among general people and therein overshadowed sincere efforts of governments and agencies of all levels.

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By flipping the coin, there is no denying the fact that administrative officers in China turned out to be inexperienced as well as unprepared in combatting air pollutions. Lacks of avant-garde technologies in monitoring and issuing up-to-date AQI results can be traced back to the core problem: it has been tacitly agreed within the majority members of the society since the implementation of the Reform and Opening-up Policy in 1978 that economic development is the sole priority. Anything else, except for sovereignty and territorial integration, could be compromised or sacrificed under the “economy-growth-at-all-cost” policy. Environmental protection, from which few short-run benefits can be projected, lingers always at the bottom of policy agenda. It’s the government long lasting negligent attitude toward environmental protection that should be held accounted for the burst of air pollution crisis.