China's air pollution - the world's problem now

The New York Times as reported on Boingboing.net confirms the horror of China's air pollution -- now the world's problem:

China is already the world's second-biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions and is expected to surpass the United States as the biggest. Roughly a third of China is exposed to acid rain. A recent study by a Chinese research institute found that 400,000 people die prematurely every year in China from diseases linked to air pollution.

Nor does China's air pollution respect borders: on certain days almost 25 percent of the particulate matter clotting the skies above Los Angeles can be traced to China, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Environmental experts in California predict that China could eventually account for roughly a third of the state's air pollution.

However, an interesting analysis ensues -- 400,000 deaths a year is only about 175 deaths in Guangdong Province each year (given that the population is 70,000,000 in that province).