THE MINISTRY of Environmental Protection has issued a notice requiring local governments in Northeast China to come up with measures to minimize smog, which has reached harmful levels across Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. Comments:

Many have attributed the severe smog in Northeast China these days to the public heating system. However, the coal-burning heating system is not a new phenomenon and it only aggravates the air pollution. Apart from reemphasizing the government's responsibility in the battle against smog, the public should be aware of the real problem behind the pollution, which is the imbalance between environmental protection and local economic development. It is not an easy job to fundamentally transform the economic development pattern, but when facing such severe air pollution, developing a green economy deserves attention.

Cien.com.cn, Nov 10