What's the buzz

The Beijing local government recently announced that it would further reduce the number of new license plates for normal cars and increase those for energy-efficient vehicles in the next four years to curb air pollution. The following are the opinions of some of China Daily's mobile phone news readers on the Beijing government's move:

I will buy a new-energy (energy-efficient) vehicle because the high level of air pollution in Beijing has made it imperative to reduce emissions from vehicles. At the last UN Climate Conference, many countries said China was one of the leading greenhouse gas emitters, even though that is an inevitable outcome of economic development and the Chinese government remains committed to curbing air pollution. The battle against air pollution should not be fought by the government alone; it is the responsibility of all citizens, too, to reduce pollution. It is within everyone's capability to support new energy, and my choice is to buy an energy-efficient car.

HOUXIAOXIAO, Jiaozuo, Henan province

The use of new-energy vehicles should be increased. Apart from the huge volume of emission from industries, heavy as well as small and medium-sized, because of China's fast-paced economic development, automobile emission is also to blame for the high level of pollution in Chinese cities. New-energy vehicles, especially petrol-and-electric hybrid and solar-powered cars, can greatly reduce vehicular emission, which despite not being a deciding factor could still significantly reduce pollution.

MOHUNJIAN, Tianjin

New-energy vehicles may become the trend in the future, but today they have to overcome many difficulties. Besides, price is a key factor that prompts people to buy a certain type of vehicle. If new-energy vehicles are affordable for middle-class consumers, I will certainly buy one.

CHENXILAN, Zhuhai, Guangdong province

At present, most new-energy vehicles sold in China are not powered by hydrogen and, hence, they are not true-zero emission vehicles. Since most of the new-energy vehicles are powered by electricity, they are not genuinely eco-friendly. After all, most of our electricity is generated by thermal power plants, which are harmful to the environment. Therefore, the urgent need is to accelerate research and development into civil hydrogen-powered cars, or low-cost photovoltaic technology.

GAZI, Guangzhou, Guangdong province

We should buy neither new-energy vehicles nor ordinary cars. Given the increasing environmental pollution, we should, instead, improve the public transport system. Encouraging people to use public transport is in line with environmental protection norms. In addition, the more people use public transport, the fewer will be the traffic jams.

MANMAN, Tianjin

I'd like to buy a new-energy vehicle, because it would help reduce air pollution and play a role in building an ecological civilization. The number of people suffering from lung cancer, asthma and other respiratory diseases is on the rise, with the age of victims falling with each passing year. The fight against air and other pollutions cannot be won without the help of every individual in society.

BONNIE, Jinan, Shandong province

The proportion of new-energy vehicles in China's automobile industry will, no doubt, increase. China understands how important the fight against air pollution is, even as it is on way changing its economic development model. China has had to pay a heavy price in terms of the environment to achieve rapid economic growth and it knows that. That's why it has been intensifying efforts to protect the environment by implementing eco-friendly policies over the past few years. And the rising number of private cars and growing energy problems have made the use of new-energy vehicles all the more important.

SUIFENGZHE, Huangshan, Anhui province

(China Daily 12/09/2013 page9)