An interesting example is the recent online debate about whether to offer residents in the country's southern regions central heating services.

The agenda seemed an imminent challenge for policy makers considering the unusual cold in the south this winter, and southerners have the right to call for the benefit of heating.

Without careful planning, however, the extension of central heating services to the south risks more pollution because coal, the main fuel for heating in the country, is a major pollutant to the air.

Dense smog envelops Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 15. [Chinanews.com]