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Tag: smog

  • China: Smog Chokes Chinese Manchuria, as Overpopulated Asian Giant Burns Coal

    Vast areas of China’s north-east were choking in smog on Monday, as the Asian giant grappled with yet another horrendous air pollution crisis threatening millions of lives.

    Schools and colleges were forced to suspend classes in Chinese Manchuria’s largest cities, including the culturally rich metropolis of Harbin. Road traffic was paralyzed as visibility was drastically compromised, while local airports were shut-down annoying thousands of travelers.

    While the emerging global power has made rapid strides in curtailing particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10),

    the index measuring particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5), shot above 1,000 in Harbin urban area, with a population of more than 11 million people, or one third the size of Canada. A reading above 300 is considered alarmingly hazardous, with severe health consequences for respiratory functions and eyes, whereas the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendations are set at daily levels of 20 or less.

    This means the level of smog was 50 times more than WHO limits, a figure worth pondering over for environmental activists as well as international community. The powerful state controlled Xinhua News Agency was compelled to lament that on the first day of winter heating, airports, highways, schools were hampered by smog, a predictable result of coal produced electricity. (image)

    In addition, the visibility was reduced to 10 meters, while the smog is expected to envelope the vast region bordering Russia, Korea and Japan for the next couple of days. Air quality in Chinese cities has not only severely affected the health of Chinese nationals, but the dense smog has made its way to Korean peninsula, Japan, as well as Russia’s Amur region.

    Matters came to a head in February 2013, when Japan accused arch foe China of waging a smog war and even endangering Mount Fuji, its beloved national symbol. The Chinese Communist Party, which is not as communist after all these days, is acutely aware of the power and potential of popular resentment channeling into political action over the burning issue of air, water and soil pollution.

    Much like Washington DC-New York clique that enjoys gullible American tax-payers’ wealth, social media users of China’s popular Sina Weibo micro-blogging site mocked Beijing authorities in anger, as they shared stories of corrupt government officials using state-of-the-art purifiers and high quality food from organic farms, while the 99% suffer from debilitating smog and deadly food safety scandals.

    In fall 2012, Hong Kong SAR was invaded by smog from mainland, as the city dwellers scrambled to contain the health hazard. Beijing has witnessed PM2.5 levels of 900 or more recurrently including last winter, jeopardizing the health of its 20 million urban residents.

    Last week, Beijing released a color-coded alert system, similar to Bush regime’s color-coded terror-alert, to address air pollution catastrophes, including suspension of factory work, construction, school closures etc. Despite Beijing’s two-pronged effort to curb pollution by population control through the imposition of “one child policy,” and massive investments in renewable energy, the population momentum is so powerful, that it will take years, if not decades to arrive at WHO’s standards of air, water and soil quality.

    China should look towards the much cleaner South Korea for inspiration on ways to reduce air-pollution as well as population growth, as both countries share Confucian culture and patterns of behavior, life style and value system.

    [image from wikimedia and US government]

  • China Smog Causes Asthma Attack For Singer, Show Canceled

    China is dealing with choking, dangerous smog this week that has already hit levels of 1,000 in some areas; for context, a reading of 300 is considered a health hazard. The air quality has forced school closings and flight cancellations, and one performer had to cancel her show after suffering a respiratory infection and asthma attack.

    63-year old jazz singer Patti Austin was forced to cancel her performance in Beijing on Friday night after suffering from ill effects of the smog, although she was able to proceed with her Shanghai show on Saturday. Austin’s manager Barry Orms made a statement, saying it wasn’t their intent to lay blame on the country for the cancellation.

    “Patti has expressed our belief that the Chinese government can be a leader in this very important issue,” Orms said.

    Winters are particularly bad for smog in many areas of China; last year Beijing suffered an emergency after levels reached 900. Officials have recently started taking an active interest in anti-pollution initiatives after years of development contributed to the poor air quality. China aims to reduce its usage of coal to under 65% by 2017 with the hopes that it will contribute to a rise in air quality. For now, several schools and highways have been closed, and residents in many areas are urged to reduce outdoor activity, especially those with health issues such as asthma.

    Image: Thinkstock

  • China: An Efficient Manufacturer Of Pollution

    In the 1970’s we started outsourcing production from the United Staes to overseas facilities that could meet production demands faster and cheaper. After over forty years of outsourcing, one thing is clear: Our air and waterways are a lot less polluted.

    Now shocking news from China says, their air quality is terrible! How could that be? Apparently, China has been spreading propoganda about the air quality and its’ improvement for years! Recent pressures have forced officials to face the truth and at least begin addressing the problem.

    It is also worthy to note that there’s a discrepancy, according to Chinese officials, over standards of measure, to determine if China even has a pollution problem. Perhaps the picture below will shed some light on the situation:

    (image)

    Seems very nice! The illustrious Ministry of Environmental Protection in China finally noticed this horrible smog and has made the recommendation that about 120 of China’s major cities should begin to monitor the smog by next year. Way to take action! By monitoring the pollution it will most certainly subside.

    Just last week Beijing started publishing readings of the smog, which they have been taking hourly. An official at the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (a Beijing-based nonprofit) credits the public with recognizing the problem, as it appears most at the institution have been robbed of their sight.

    Apparently the smog is so thick and concentrated that it can become imbedded in people’s lungs and cause a variety of respiratory complications including death. The American Embassy began monitoring the levels and alerting the public about the pollution some time ago.

    This angered the Chinese government, who politely asked the embassy to stop, and lie about it for them, if they could. The embassy declined.

    Supposedly, China has been making progress on reducing air pollution, but that is their own claim, not an impartial party’s. The World Bank mentions, in an unreleased report, Northern China’s pollution levels exceed America’s limits by five to six times.