China's air quality has been poor for a long time.
In cities, there's so much smog from factories and vehicles that the air is nearly opaque and the sky is gray, and people often wear face masks to avoid inhaling too much of the pollutants.
But it's not just the cities contributing to the country's air pollution. Farms do as well, particularly in winter. That's because during winter, many farmers traditionally burn their fields and paddies to clear out old brush.
The burnt material also serves as good fertilizer for the next growing season. It's the way it's been done for centuries, and it's never been a problem before.
But with the rise of industrialization, and the urban centers growing and pouring more pollution into the air, the burning of fields is only adding to an already serious problem.
But where there's a problem, there's luckily always someone who can come up with an amazing solution, like these roving trash bins that collect garbage from the sea.
Check out what some artists have done to combat air pollution below!
(H/T: Earthables)
A group of artists and farmers teamed up to create these huge straw sculptures in the fields. They're pretty massive; you can see the cars nearby for scale.
The crabs have drawn some tourists and have become attractions, and that means that the fields won't be burned this year.
The aim of the sculptures is to raise awareness about air pollution, and to encourage people to turn to more environmentally sound methods of living.
Right now, coal is China's leading cause of air pollution, but field burning plays a large part of it, too.
Burning fields is technically illegal, but many farmers do it anyway. The practice happens mainly in the North China Plain, and winds bring the smoke into nearby regions.
While burnt straw is seen as a good fertilizer, environmentalists are encouraging people to recycle their unwanted straw in other ways. Animal feed and non-burnt fertilizer are other options.
And of course, it also makes a great sculpting material for huge pieces of artwork!
Pollution and environmental damage is a worldwide issue, and a very serious one.
But sometimes it takes something totally unexpected, like some giant crustaceans made from straw, to make people aware!
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