Beijing air pollution off the charts, US says
People walk along a street in thick smog in Beijing. Beijing went "beyond" measurable pollution levels, the US embassy said, as a Chinese official warned people to stay indoors and avoid outdoor activities.
Thick smog blanketing Beijing went "beyond" measurable pollution levels on Monday, the US embassy said, as a Chinese official warned people to stay indoors and avoid outdoor activities.
The independent assessment by the embassy said pollution was either hazardous or "beyond index," meaning that air quality had plunged below the worst level on the scale.
The Beijing Environmental Bureau said air quality in most of the city was at level five -- the worst rating.
"Obviously elderly people and children should not go outside," an official at the bureau who refused to identify herself told AFP.
Particulate pollution, rising temperatures and a lack of wind caused the stifling smog, which reduced visibility in parts of the city to just 200 metres (yards), the Beijing weather bureau said in a report.
Air pollution in Beijing has been consistently listed as among the worst in the world by international organisations such as the United Nations.
Air quality will remain poor until at least Thursday when winds from the north are expected to pick up and blow much of the smog away, the weather bureau said.
Strong winds kept Beijing's skies clear and blue for most of January despite the city's numerous coal-fired power stations and more than 4.8 million cars on the roads -- the capital's main sources of air pollution.
(c) 2011 AFP
-
From lemons to lemonade: Reaction uses carbon dioxide to make carbon-based semiconductor,
30 comments
-
Thioridazine kills cancer stem cells in human while avoiding toxic side-effects of conventional cancer treatments,
3 comments
-
SpaceX private rocket blasts off for space station (Update),
42 comments
-
Climate scientists say they have solved riddle of rising sea,
30 comments
-
Delphi gasoline-injection engine technique rivals hybrid's edge,
37 comments
-
More human population = greater mass?
May 25, 2012
-
Conversion from aircraft bearing to normal degrees
May 23, 2012
-
Interpretation/Analysis of the Lab results(HEPA filter)
May 22, 2012
-
Has anyone here attended the The Urbino Summer School in Paleoclimatology?
May 22, 2012
-
Earthquakes: Mag 6 N. Italy and Mag 5.6 W. Bulgaria
May 21, 2012
-
determining time frame for most recent geological layers
May 17, 2012
- More from Physics Forums - Earth
More news stories
SpaceX capsule has 'new car' smell, astronauts say (Update)
SpaceX's Dragon cargo vessel smells like a new car, said astronauts at the International Space Station after opening the hatches Saturday following the spacecraft's landmark mission to the orbiting lab.
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
11 hours ago |
4.6 / 5 (15) |
0
Australia hails surprise super-telescope decision
Australia has hailed a surprise decision giving it a role in a radio telescope project aimed at revolutionising astronomy, vowing to draw on its decades of experience in space science.
11 hours ago |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
Astronomers seize last chance in lifetime for Venus Transit
Astronomers are gearing for one the rarest events in the Solar System: an alignment of Earth, Venus and the Sun that will not be seen for another 105 years.
11 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Astronauts enter world's 1st private supply ship
(AP) -- Space station astronauts floated into the Dragon on Saturday, a day after its heralded arrival as the world's first commercial supply ship.
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
11 hours ago |
5 / 5 (5) |
0
Dragon arrives at space station in historic 1st (Update 2)
The privately bankrolled Dragon capsule made a historic arrival at the International Space Station on Friday, triumphantly captured by astronauts wielding a giant robot arm.
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 25, 2012 |
5 / 5 (10) |
19
Dell tablet leak: 10.1-inch display, two-battery choice
(Phys.org) -- Headline after headline talks about vendors’ tablets in the wings as likely number-one contenders for the iPad. Such claims have justifiably been taken with a grain of salt, considering ...
Scientist: Evolution debate will soon be history
(AP) -- Richard Leakey predicts skepticism over evolution will soon be history. Not that the avowed atheist has any doubts himself.
Keep food safety in mind this memorial day weekend
(HealthDay) -- Picnics, parades and cookouts are as much a part of Memorial Day weekend as tributes to the United States' war veterans.
SpotterRF debuts Radar Backpack Kit (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) -- SpotterRF has announced a special radar backpack kit designed to enhance situational awareness for soldiers on the ground. The company says its special radar is designed for warfighters as part ...
Thousands of shellfish found dead in Peru
Thousands of crustaceans were found dead off the coast of Lima following the mystery mass death of dolphins and pelicans, the Peruvian Navy said Friday.
Family history of Alzheimer's affects functional connectivity
(HealthDay) -- Cognitively normal individuals with a family history of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) may display lower resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) of the brain, ...
Feb 21, 2011
Rank: 1.8 / 5 (4)
Their air quality will look like a dry ice demonstration you find on youtube.
In 2030, Africa and China combined will be burning something like nine billion gallons of gasoline per day, which will make around 80 billion kilograms of CO2 blanketing the far east and ITCZ each day.
Hopefully, some of this smoke will clear out in time for the evening commute...
It is a good thing that CO2 is a white gas which reflects most sun light.
They are only at around 10 million cars for the entire country! Wait till they get a billion!
"Li, Li, don't forget to wear your respirator at the bus stop today!"
"Yes mommy! I won't forget!"
"Hold STILL, the air lock must be sealed perfectly and depressurized before you go outside! We must save oxygen!"
Feb 21, 2011
Rank: 3.5 / 5 (2)
By 2030 we'll all be driving electric cars.
And I'll pass on the "white gas" flamebait.
Feb 21, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
Feb 21, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
1) industrialization increases standard of living and life expectancy.
2) negative effects of industrialization replace non-industrialized threats as greatest limit to quality of life and life expectancy.
3) legislation and other information technologies are used to mitigate the negative effects of industrialization.
Conclusion: They'll fix the problem just like the US fixed problems like the Erie canal catching fire because of excess pollution. Most likely China will continue their successful strategy of copying best practices from more developed countries in solving the pollution problem.
Much of China is still not industrialized and natural threats to quality of life and lifespan are still more a problem for the majority of Chinese. Therefore the pollution in China will get worse before it gets better on the whole, but once it starts getting better should be a much faster improvement than USA experienced.
Feb 21, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
Feb 21, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
Feb 22, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
Main causes are power plants and dirty industry. The effect of cars and trucks is beyond negligable when compared to those behemoths.
that fact is why if we in the US switch to electric cars pollution will with out a doubt increase unless we switch to more renewable energy as well... we will be giving up the less polluting gas engine for more demand on gas, oil, coal power plants that producing huge amounts of pollution.
Feb 22, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
Feb 23, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
How can pollution be "off the charts"?
Make a bigger chart...or drop the idiotic sensationalist headlines...