In the 1980s, the authorities became more aware of the impact of the environmental problems on the country's economic performance. They started a series of propaganda campaigns that were to educate the people in keeping their immediate surroundings clean. This was phrased in terms of maintaining a high level of personal hygiene as well as of social morality. This contribution could take the form of protecting and maintaining plant- and wildlife. Over the years, the stress on protecting the environment has become an integral part of the various campaigns aimed at building Socialist Spiritual Civilization .
China is currently the world's second largest emitter of carbon dioxide.
China generates three-quarters of its energy from coal. The pollution this causes is particularly severe in China's industrial cities. According to the WHO, Beijing, Shenyang, Xi'an, Shanghai and Guangzhou are on the top-10 of the world's most polluted cities. The air in Beijing is 16 times dirtier than it is in New York. The most polluted place in the country may be the Northeastern city of Benxi, which in winter cannot be seen by satellite reconnaissance for months at a time.