Stamping out an unsightly pollutant
<p><span word="By">By</span> <span word="James">James</span> <span word="Healy">Healy</span></p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="grows">grows</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="determined">determined</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="solve">solve</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="pollution">pollution</span>, <span word="things">things</span> <span word="certainly">certainly</span> <span word="seem">seem</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="up">up</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="down">down</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="you">you</span>'<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="realize">realize</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="awful">awful</span> <span word="we">we</span>'<span word="re">re</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="ground">ground</span> <span word="level">level</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="talking">talking</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="heavy">heavy</span> <span word="metals">metals</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="soil">soil</span> - <span word="another">another</span> <span word="serious">serious</span> <span word="issue">issue</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="resolved">resolved</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="tackle">tackle</span> - <span word="but">but</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="simpler">simpler</span>.</p><p><span word="There">There</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reasonable">reasonable</span>, <span word="though">though</span> <span word="potentially">potentially</span> <span word="challenging">challenging</span>, <span word="solution">solution</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="vexing">vexing</span> <span word="sort">sort</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="pollution">pollution</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="campaign">campaign</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="clamp">clamp</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="clean">clean</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="call">call</span> "<span word="No">No</span> <span word="Ifs">Ifs</span>, <span word="Ands">Ands</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="Butts">Butts</span>".</p><p><span word="Cigarette">Cigarette</span> <span word="butts">butts</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>. <span word="Just">Just</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="around">around</span>. <span word="They">They</span>'<span word="re">re</span> <span word="everywhere">everywhere</span> <span word="underfoot">underfoot</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="notice">notice</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="object">object</span>, <span word="China">China</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="stamp">stamp</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="ubiquitous">ubiquitous</span> <span word="annoyance">annoyance</span>.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="fair">fair</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="smokers">smokers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="inconsiderate">inconsiderate</span>, <span word="though">though</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="continue">continue</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="puff">puff</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="places">places</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="restaurants">restaurants</span>, <span word="even">even</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="illegal">illegal</span>, <span word="might">might</span> <span word="cause">cause</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="wonder">wonder</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="point">point</span>.</p><p><span word="However">However</span>, <span word="many">many</span> <span word="smokers">smokers</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="indeed">indeed</span> <span word="seem">seem</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="regard">regard</span> <span word="whatsoever">whatsoever</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cleanliness">cleanliness</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nation">nation</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="streets">streets</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sidewalks">sidewalks</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="beauty">beauty</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="magnificence">magnificence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="parks">parks</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="landscaping">landscaping</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="cigarette">cigarette</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="another">another</span>, <span word="ad">ad</span> <span word="nauseam">nauseam</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worst">worst</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="chimneys">chimneys</span> <span word="flick">flick</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="butts">butts</span> <span word="hither">hither</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="yon">yon</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="magical">magical</span> <span word="elf">elf</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="designated">designated</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="clean">clean</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="them">them</span>.</p><p><span word="Go">Go</span> <span word="ahead">ahead</span>, <span word="count">count</span>. <span word="You">You</span>'<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="cigarette">cigarette</span> <span word="butts">butts</span> <span word="strewn">strewn</span> <span word="along">along</span> <span word="streets">streets</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="crosswalks">crosswalks</span>, <span word="on">on</span> <span word="sidewalks">sidewalks</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="flower">flower</span> <span word="beds">beds</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="bushes">bushes</span> – <span word="you">you</span> <span word="name">name</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="let">let</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="frank">frank</span>: <span word="These">These</span> <span word="smokers">smokers</span>' <span word="remnants">remnants</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="filthy">filthy</span>, <span word="toxic">toxic</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="unsightly">unsightly</span>.</p>
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