Smog shuts down Bejing

[CexMashean]

Pictures and shit at the link.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/beijing-smog-red-alert-issued-schools-and-businesses-to-completely-shut-down-as-chinese-capital-a6763286.html

Beijing has issued its first ever “Red Alert” over the city’s smog, and the Chinese capital will now go into shutdown in an attempt to protect people from the deadly air.

Red alert is the highest possible state of caution that can be declared. It is the first time ever that it has been declared in the capital.

The warning means that schools will have to shutdown and construction and other industry in the city will be limited.



Smog levels are actually lower at the moment than they have been in recent weeks. But authorities are expecting an extreme amount of pollution in the coming days, and have imposed the order to ensure safety during that time.

The order will last from Tuesday morning local time until mid-day on Thursday, when the weather is expected to change and blow away the smog.

The city had already been in a state of orange alert, which meant that some construction and industry was being curbed. The city had also issued a ruling that said cars with odd and even number plates would be stopped from driving on alternate days.


In some parts of Beijing, people can only see around 200m. The air is also packed with poisonous particles that mean that people could become ill simply from being outside.

Air pollution monitors showed that areas of Beijing had more than 256 micrograms per cubic metre of the poisonous particles. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that anything over 25 micrograms is considered unsafe.

The poisonous smog in Beijing is caused by the burning of coal for industry and heating, as well as huge amounts of dust from the city’s many construction sites. The problem is being made yet worse by high humidity and low wind.

Last week, Greenpeace called on Beijing to issue a red alert, after four days of what it called “Airpocalypse”.


“The city is blanketed in a thick, choking smog that has covered an area of North China the size of Spain and Beijing’s most famous landmarks have been completely obscured by the yellow haze,” wrote Zhang Kai on the group’s blog.

Greenpeace praised the Orange Alert that had been declared for putting restrictions on construction and industry, but said that it was “clearly not enough”.

“At this level of response, schools and kindergartens can remain open, meaning that children are risking their health in order to attend class and car emissions haven’t been restricted at all,” the group wrote.

[Nash B.]

[Forever_frost]

I remember being in Korea and us having training end so we could get back inside before the yellow clouds hit us. We would leave the field, drop everything and secure our gear and head into the barracks with orders not to come out until notified. We were told to hit the PX for food and stock up with an eye to being indoors for a few days at most.

[Mach1]

maybe they have too many cows

http://www.cowspiracy.com

[46Tbird]

You know, I hate the tactics used by the EPA. But their positive effect on air quality in America cannot be denied.

It's kind of surprising that China, even being a communist shit hole, hasn't done something about air quality in its capital city.

[Chili]

You know, I hate the tactics used by the EPA. But their positive effect on air quality in America cannot be denied.

It's kind of surprising that China, even being a communist shit hole, hasn't done something about air quality in its capital city.

It really doesn't surprise me.. One of the reasons they can undercut the US so deeply on manufacturing costs is because they they don't have all of those pesky government regulations / laws in place to 'protect' its citizens (which significantly increases the cost of doing business here).

[YALE]

You know, I hate the tactics used by the EPA. But their positive effect on air quality in America cannot be denied.

It's kind of surprising that China, even being a communist shit hole, hasn't done something about air quality in its capital city.

Air quality standards are low hanging fruit, too. There's nothing stopping them. Hell, they build scrubber components already.