Lawmakers propose banning arbitrary environmental monitoring

 BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers on Friday suggested formulating¹ an environmental monitoring law to prohibit disorderly, arbitrary monitoring of the environment.

China lacks a special law or regulation on the management of environmental monitoring, which has led to a chaotic² state in which various government departments, public institutions and individuals are monitoring China's environment and releasing different data, lawmakers said in a report adopted by the top legislature on Friday.

A law should be in place to protect and regulate governments' or individuals' environmental monitoring activities, and to provide a legal basis for the act, lawmakers said in the report.

Lawmakers said a nationally-unified monitoring network is imperative³ to ensuring the authority of environmental monitoring results and avoiding negative social effects created by disordered and confusing data.

They suggested the central government establish the monitoring network and database and uniformly lay out monitoring sites.

They also said the heads of the monitoring agencies should be responsible for the authenticity⁴ and accuracy of the monitoring data, adding that such data must be published in a timely manner.

Environmental monitoring, especially air quality monitoring, has become a hot issue in China in the past year.

Fierce public debate has stirred since 2011 over the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the U.S. Consulate⁵ General in Shanghai monitoring the local air quality and publishing the results online.

The results released by Beijing's weather forecasting station and the U.S. Embassy and Consulate General often differ -- the latter generally report worse conditions -- due to different standards for PM2.5, which measures finer particles in the air that are considered more hazardous⁶ to health.

The Chinese government has said the data issued by the foreign entities⁷ is inaccurate⁸ and unfair, as they gather data from only one point in their respective cities and measure the air quality using U.S. PM2.5 standards.

China did not include indices for ozone⁹ and PM2.5 in the revised air quality standards until late February this year.

It stipulated¹⁰ that the standards must be implemented¹¹ nationwide by Jan. 1, 2016 and promised to lift PM2.5 standards step by step.

Starting Jan. 1, 2013, the government will issue real-time air quality monitoring data in 74 major cities, the Ministry¹² of Environmental Protection (MEP) said Friday.

According to the report, a regulation, not a law, on environmental monitoring management has been drafted by the MEP and delivered to the State Council, China's Cabinet, for review.

Lawmakers said they hope the regulation will come out soon.

Also in the report, lawmakers proposed revising the Law on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric¹³ Pollution to curb¹⁴ emissions¹⁵ and treat atmospheric pollution.

The law was issued in September 1987, and was revised in 1995 and 2000.

1 formulating   

v.构想出( formulate的现在分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese government is formulating nationwide regulations on the control of such chemicals. 目前，中国政府正在制定全国性的易制毒化学品管理条例。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Because of this, the U.S. has taken further steps in formulating the \"Magellan\" programme. 为此，美国又进一步制定了“麦哲伦”计划。 来自百科语句

2 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

3 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

4 authenticity   

n.真实性

参考例句：

• There has been some debate over the authenticity of his will. 对于他的遗嘱的真实性一直有争论。
• The museum is seeking an expert opinion on the authenticity of the painting. 博物馆在请专家鉴定那幅画的真伪。

5 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

6 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

7 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

8 inaccurate   

adj.错误的，不正确的，不准确的

参考例句：

• The book is both inaccurate and exaggerated.这本书不但不准确，而且夸大其词。
• She never knows the right time because her watch is inaccurate.她从来不知道准确的时间因为她的表不准。

9 ozone   

n.臭氧，新鲜空气

参考例句：

• The ozone layer is a protective layer around the planet Earth.臭氧层是地球的保护层。
• The capacity of ozone can adjust according of requirement.臭氧的产量可根据需要或调节。

10 stipulated   

vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的

参考例句：

• A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
• Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

11 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

12 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

13 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

14 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

15 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。