Beijing smog @ noon

[brainhulk]

http://www.businessinsider.com/beijing-goes-dark-at-noon-2013-6

Earlier today, Mark MacKinnon, senior international correspondent Canada's Globe and Mail, tweeted an image showing just how welcoming Beijing was at noon.

Allegedly, it's noon in Beijing. #smogmeetsstorm twitpic.com/cv5skm
— Mark MacKinnon/马凯 (@markmackinnon) June 4, 2013​

It appears that thanks to a combination of stormy weather and the Chinese capital's notorious smog problem, Beijing at 12pm was looking a little more like Beijing at 12am.

 

[Colt45]

This is externality of 29 cent plastic trinkets

way it goes

 

[Kadarin]

I'm all for China having MORE pollution...

 

[Anonemous]

Looks like someone turned down the brightness in that pic.

 

[Pocatello]

That is like L.A in the movie "Blade Runner". Vampires don't have to worry about the sun anymore.

 

[It's Not Lupus]

Seen similar pics before. How is it the smog just stays there and not spread around the world? I mean i didn't think it could get that bad.

 

[Red Squirrel]

It's brutal how much as a species we are destroying our planet, know it, even know how to stop, but refuse to stop, all because of artificial limitations such as money and the unwillingness to change life styles.

Other big cities like Toronto are pretty bad too.

I guess the only good news is because we outsource manufacturing to China, they get that smog, and not us. Then again, there are ways to make processes cleaner, it's just they choose not to... and sadly we'd probably also choose not to. All in the name of saving money.

 

[mikeymikec]

I'm all for China having MORE pollution...

Are you trying to troll? Seems like it.

 

[Craig234]

Kinda glad back when we had democracy before corporatocracy in the 60's and 70's that government did something about air pollution here in the US.

 

[Craig234]

China's tea party says the science isn't settled that there's smog in Beijing. More studies are needed for decades. Breathe deep, nope, no smog there.

 

[Vic Vega]

Looks like Blade Runner....

 

[AstroManLuca]

That was obviously a very stormy, cloudy day to begin with. It's gotten dark in the middle of the day here in Minnesota too, on occasion.

Not saying that smog is not a problem though. I spent some time in China, mostly in Xi'an but also in Beijing, and both suffered from tremendous amounts of smog. Doesn't help that they heat their buildings with coal furnaces. But of course, industry is the main reason for the pollution.

On a typical day, you would not be able to see the sun. It was like an overcast day here, plus a haze that prevented you from seeing more than about half a mile. Once in a while, the sky would actually be blue, but only a very faint, light blue visible nearly overhead and not at the horizon. One time I even lucked out and saw the mountains near the city.

Here's a neat view of the same street in Xi'an in 1981 and in 2005, taken by my mom. As you can see, even in 1981 it was hazy and it was rare to see the mountains even then.

 

[Ryland]

I have pictures out my hotel room in Jinan where you could barely see past the next building over until it rained, then you could see for quite a distance. The smog in China is really bad.

 

[Eug]

Other big cities like Toronto are pretty bad too.

Where in Canada do you live?

Cuz I live in Toronto, and IMO by North American standards it's not bad. (And it's not in the same league as Chinese smog. It's absolutely horrible in many Chinese cities, like Beijing.) There are occasional bad days, but most of the time it's fine. I've read the reduction in pollution has to do with the closure of coal burning power plants.

If anything, it's worse in parts of Hamilton. It's less smoggy in Vancouver though.

I have pictures out my hotel room in Jinan where you could barely see past the next building over until it rained, then you could see for quite a distance. The smog in China is really bad.

Are you sure that's smog, and not the farmers burning their crop waste? When were the pix taken? Jinan isn't really as well known for smog, but their laws stupidly allowed the local farmers to burn all their dead plant waste right next to the city which meant the city was full of smoke for several days of the year. I think they banned that recently though. However, industrialization of Jinan is probably increasing at the same time, so yeah, it may be smog.

 

[crashtestdummy]

Seen similar pics before. How is it the smog just stays there and not spread around the world? I mean i didn't think it could get that bad.

It does.

 

[Blackjack200]

China's tea party says the science isn't settled that there's smog in Beijing. More studies are needed for decades. Breathe deep, nope, no smog there.

Shens, everyone knows there's smog in Beijing, but you can't PROVE that it's caused by humans.

 

[Net Prowler]

the amount of smog in china makes me sick

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Damn Harkonnens!

 

[Wyndru]

That was obviously a very stormy, cloudy day to begin with. It's gotten dark in the middle of the day here in Minnesota too, on occasion.

That's what I was thinking (actually hoping).

Here's a neat view of the same street in Xi'an in 1981 and in 2005, taken by my mom. As you can see, even in 1981 it was hazy and it was rare to see the mountains even then.

Nice pictures, thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:

 

[Slew Foot]

as long as it stays over there.