As smog alerts hit swathes of China this winter, many people's attitudes have turned from jokes to anger. Some have started voicing their concerns by demanding a better government response, or thinking of ways to protect their family. Even though there are still many who are ignorant of this issue, there are hopes this may lead to change in the future.
After being hit by a quick combo of two heavy pollution alerts, Jin Zi was on the ropes. The Beijing investment consultant felt sick of being enveloped in thick smog, both physically and mentally.
"My 70-year-old mother got sick after coming to Beijing from Qingdao, Shandong Province. My twins cough even though they are just 9 months old. My heart feels sore every time I hear them cough," he said.
So he chose Sina Weibo as the arena to vent his anger. On Thursday evening, he made a public complaint on his verified Weibo account, demanding the State Council give citizens a formal response the government's failure to rein in the choking smog.
"I believe what's frightening is not the smog, but your indifference," he said, demanding the government offer concrete and comprehensive solutions to the problem.
The post quickly circulated on Chinese social media and generated one million views before it was deleted the next morning. After cutting out a few of his more radical remarks, he posted it again.
To his joy, the Weibo administrators didn't remove the post this time. But he never received an official response.
Over the last few months, the oceans of smog flooding over many provinces have again led to the public raising their voices over the toxic clouds. From jokes, sarcasm and laments before to actions and angry demands today, the people's frustrations have once again bubbled to the surface.
Pressure on government
On December 20, five lawyers from Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province filed lawsuits against the regional governments for failing to combat pollution crisis in the region.
In the joint indictment, they demanded the governments be punished and solve the air pollution within a set time frame, and asked for compensation, including 9,999 yuan ($1,438) for suffering and to cover the costs of their face masks.
Tianjin lawyer Ma Wei said that he has received no judicial reply but has gotten calls from the police and the justice bureau.
"They asked me to withdraw the complaint. I refused. I told them I'm not fighting for my own right to fresh air, but for you, for everybody," Ma said.
According to the law, the court should decide whether to docket the complaint or clarify why is hasn't done so within seven days. But it's been 18 days since the Tianjin court acknowledged Ma's filing.
"They didn't reply, which is against the law," Ma said. "My purpose is not to embarrass the government, but to push them to act."
On December 30, Beijing's Cheng Hai went to the No.4 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing and inquired about the progress of his case. Court workers told him that they could not accept it as the defendants were several governments.
Cheng said that after changing the filing to only include the Beijing government, he submitted it again. After seven days, he has still heard nothing. "I will continue to appeal," he pledged.
If the court doesn't respond to the complaint, Cheng may file a complaint at a higher court.
Awareness and discussion
These demands for better governance stem from an evolution in the public attitude toward pollution, from jokes and helplessness in the first years toward greater anger and criticism, especially during the past month when two periods of blinding smog made winter in North China even bleaker than usual.
Gradually, many started realizing smog isn't a joke, that the harm it causes is real.
A netizen said at first she thought the jokes were funny. "Photos of an old lady walking her dog, in which it turns out she was holding an empty leash, circulated online and I thought they were hilarious."
But soon, the joke was on her. She saw a former classmate, who now studies in Australia, taunting people who have no choice but to stay behind in the smog, and she felt uncomfortable.
