[ECM]

I will never again complain about SoCal air quality--ever!

[Just another Joe]

And this is where they are going to hold the Olympics?

Good luck breaking any records in that stew, Olympians.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

The photo on the right was taken during a sunny, otherwise clear day. The photo on the left after it had rained for approximately 2 days.

[weegee]

It can get worse if they set off a few nukes.

[Old Professer]

You have never seen the likes of Steubenville, Ohio in the 50s and 60s; coal for houses, steel mills, and stocking stuffers left their soot on the walls of all the buildings; I think grafitti originated there, at least grafitti for people too poor to purchase a paint can, pencil or brush.

It’s the Chinese peoples’ problem now, we’ve got plastic.

[stboz]

The enviro-assholes want US to clean up????

Go suck a lemon, Al.

[Vince Ferrer]

I was in Beijing for a few days this year. Even when it was “clear,” it was all indirect lighting where I couldn’t really tell where the sun was. Beijing, however, was not the most polluted city I was in. In a north central city, I was in the old city center, and I was looking for a thirteen story pagoda, which was 1.6 km from where I was. Although it should have bee plainly visible above the skyline, the haze was so think I could not see more than two blocks. I had to hire a taxi to find it, because I could not see enough to get my bearings.

[hoosierboy]

Yeah but did they sign the kyoto treaty????

[ALPAPilot]

As I sit here in my Beijing Hotel, I can tell you it has been bad for the last few weeks. Today, though, when we landed it was quite windy. That didn’t seem to help much. I’ve read that the agricultural methods used out by the Gobi dessert tend to put particulates into the air as well. The wind ends up blowing the top soil all over northeastern China.

[RightWhale]

Fairbanks had several days of air alert last week when it was -30. The inversion and lack of wind keeps that stuff trapped in the valley. It wasn’t bad, just excess CO.

[kidd]

[JACKRUSSELL]

(Please FReepmail me if you would like to be on or off of the list.)

[dr_lew]

Here is the MODIS satellite view including Beijing on Christmas day, 12/25/2007. Beijing is right along the 40th parallel between longitude 110E and 120E on the top left of the image, in a deep atmospheric sea of gray. Click on 500m resolution and note how the bay of Bohai near Beijing is obscured, and note the mountains to the west of Beijing showing their peaks above this sea of smog ... mountains! This view is viscerally shocking when you comprehend its scope. I guess you can't say it's an unreported story, but it's certainly not given the weight it deserves.