The implementation of the policy of banning straw burning has lasted for more than ten years, and its impact on rural areas in China is huge and far-reaching. The original intention of the burning ban was to reduce air pollution, especially PM25 and carbon dioxide and other pollutant emissions, thereby improving air quality. However, the impact of straw burning on air pollution is less than that of other sources of pollution, such as vehicle exhaust, industrial exhaust, and exhaust from animals and swamps. The soot produced by incineration only exists in a specific time and place, the emission is limited, and the impact on the atmospheric environment is short-lived. In contrast, emissions from other sources are enormous, with more devastating effects on the atmosphere and climate change. Therefore, the effect of banning straw burning is insignificant compared with the impact of environmental pollution, and it can even be said that the cart is turned upside down. For a long time, our people have been aware of the benefits and harms of banning straw burning.
The biggest benefit of banning straw burning is the reduction of PM2 in the atmosphere5. Carbon dust and carbon dioxide emissions have a certain weakening effect on improving haze weather. In the vicinity of airports, a ban on straw burning can improve the visibility of aircraft during take-off and landing, and increase flight safety. However, the consequences of the ban on straw burning are severe. On the one hand, a large amount of straw returning to the field will affect the growth and planting of crops, making it difficult for seeds to germinate, difficult for the roots of crops to take root, easy to cause drought and plant withering, and pests and diseases will also increase, which will eventually lead to a decline in grain production and seriously threaten food security. On the other hand, in order to strive for high yields, farmers dispose of large quantities of straw and pile them up indiscriminately, which has an impact on environmental hygiene. Some of the straw is blown away by the wind into canals, ponds and rivers, and the water source is polluted with the sewage from the decay, threatening the safety of drinking water for people and animals. In addition, the waste straw can clog canals and weirs, affect the drainage and irrigation systems of farmland, and cause flooding when floods come. In addition, in the dry autumn and winter seasons, the straw piled up indiscriminately is very easy to cause fires, becoming a major hidden danger of fires.
To sum up, although the ban on straw burning plays a certain role in reducing air pollution, its disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. It has seriously affected agricultural production, threatened China's food security, damaged the ecological environment, and led to frequent disasters such as floods and droughts. In order to solve this problem, the state is considering lifting the ban on straw burning in rural areas across the country, and many provinces have begun to implement conditional straw burning policies. This policy allows farmers to burn straw within a specified time and range to avoid excessive impact on the atmospheric environment. Some provinces are even seeking to lift the ban on straw burning nationwide, subject to approval from the relevant state authorities. It is imperative to lift the ban on straw burning, and the full implementation of the conditional straw burning policy will bring more opportunities for the promotion of agricultural production, the increase of grain output and the increase of farmers' economic income. We look forward to the implementation of this policy.
In response to the decade-long ban on straw burning in rural areas, we recognize its limitations in reducing air pollution, including the short-lived and limited impact of incineration compared to other sources of pollution. At the same time, the ban on straw burning has also brought serious harm to agricultural production, food security and the ecological environment, such as reducing crop yields, environmental pollution, and water pollution. In the face of this situation, the state is considering canceling the policy of banning straw burning, and many provinces have begun to implement conditional straw burning policies. The implementation of this policy will bring more opportunities to farmers, promote agricultural development, increase grain production, and increase farmers' economic income. We look forward to the smooth implementation of this policy, and hope to achieve sustainable agricultural development and coordinated development of the environment through the rational use of straw resources. Let's look forward to the positive changes brought about by the lifting of the straw burning ban.