Please don't cite China as a green paragon. If you've ever been to China, they are essentially 1960's-1970's USA relative to air and water pollution. The air quality and visibility there is horrendous. Open burning is widely practiced for rural areas. Add to that a burgeoning middle class that can afford automobiles, and there is an internal incentive to do something drastic.
Of course, when people plug in their electric cars, the coal-fired power plants will charge 'em right up.