China smog makes capital 'barely suitable' for life: report

[onehandle]

Source: Reuters

[IMG][/IMG]

(Reuters) - Severe pollution in Beijing has made the Chinese capital "barely suitable" for living, according to an official Chinese report, as the world's second-largest economy tries to reduce often hazardous levels of smog caused by decades of rapid growth.

Pollution is a rising concern for China's stability-obsessed leaders, keen to douse potential unrest as affluent city dwellers turn against a growth-at-all-costs economic model that has tainted much of the country's air, water and soil.

The report, by the Beijing-based Social Science Academic Press and the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, ranked the Chinese capital second worst out of 40 global cities for its environmental conditions, official media reported on Thursday.

China's smog has brought some Chinese cities to a near standstill, caused flight delays and forced schools to shut.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/13/us-china-pollution-idUSBREA1C02D20140213

[neverforget]

1. We're killing ourselves with pollution and climate change.

If we don't get our act together soon, we're in for a frightening future. Hopefully, it's not too late......

[wordpix]

2. Lung cancer rates up by 50% in Beijing

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2500852/Lung-cancer-rates-Beijing-50-PER-CENT-officials-claim-smoking-NOT-smog.html


Officials claim smoking, not smog, to blame.

Maybe once they're diagnosed with cancer, they'll change their tune.

[arikara]

7. I recently read in interesting article about China and smoking

where some are annoyed because public officials are no longer allowed to smoke in areas like hospitals and government buildings. And they aren't allowed to buy cigarettes with public money any more, which messes up their business dealings. It is traditional to present a couple bottles of expensive hooch and a carton of luxury cigarettes as a starting point for negotiation, if accepted that means that the acceptor is open to being bribed.

Sorry but I don't remember where I read it. Maybe aljazeera rings a bell.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

12. That is absolutely, 100% accurate.

The more expensive the hooch, smokes and girl, the more face you have in business and government dealings.

[arikara]

13. Well if its any consolation

its no different here. And when they do get caught nothing rarely ever comes of it.

[Major Nikon]

10. When I was in Beijing I didn't see all that many people smoking

The smog was worse than any I've ever seen, including LA back in the 70's. On some days the visibility was severely reduced you couldn't see the sky at all. I think most people have figured out that smoking plus the smog is a death sentence.

[7962]

3. And yet all the big climate change agreement attempts exempt China and India

Its no wonder they dont pass.

[RussBLib]

26. because we can't put a damper of any kind on the all-sacred "growth"

Growth is the holy grail of decision makers. Growth at all costs. Growths on our lungs and bodies. Growth until we choke to death.

[7962]

28. Yes, its only "fair" to let the other countries "catch up" regardless of the consequences nt

[Lasher]

4. Capitol, dammit, capitol!

Writing for Reuters and can't spell worth a damn. Spellcheck doesn't always cover for you when you're a chump.

[Lucky Luciano]

6. The "a" is correct here. "Capitol" is the actual building where the legislators pretend to do work.

[Lasher]

20. All my life I have held this misconception.

Thank you for the correction. Looks like I'm the one who's a dumbass.

[Loaded Liberal Dem]

21. Go Mountaineers!

[jsr]

16. Hmm

[happyslug]

25. Ode to the Spell checker

I have a spelling checker
I disk covered four my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot see.
Eye ran this poem threw it.
Your sure real glad two no.
Its very polished in its weigh,
My checker tolled me sew.

A checker is a blessing.
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.

Each frays comes posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.

Bee fore wee rote with checkers
Hour spelling was inn deck line,
Butt now when wee dew have a laps,
Wee are not maid too wine.

And now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
There are know faults in awl this peace,
Of nun eye am a wear.

To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should be proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.

That's why eye brake in two averse
Cuz Eye dew want too please.
Sow glad eye yam that aye did bye
This soft wear four pea seas.

[cynannmarie]

29. like!

[happyslug]

30. This is old, I first ran across it in the 1990s.

n/t

[tomm2thumbs]

5. Just as long as that bad air isn't trapped inside any products they ship here, we are okay

oh wait... we all breath the air on this planet.... uh oh

[Sienna86]

8. And Max Baucus is headed there. nt

[Left Coast2020]

9. Maybe the American companies that moved there would prefer cleaner air.

Say like someplace in this country.

China can keep Baccus. He's a self serving jackass anyway.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

11. The picture is looking south at Beijing West Railway Station, a place I know all too intimately

And this is a good photo. You can see the train station from two lights away.

This is not normal for Beijing.

[grahamhgreen]

17. I was in Beijing for 1 day and it was clear as a bell... down at Nanluoguxiang

(not my pic)

I also noticed that all the little motorcycles in the area were electric!

[Nanjing to Seoul]

19. i have an ebike. it's a life saver.

[grahamhgreen]

23. I loved nanluguxiang... where are some other cool places like that in China SE/asia?

& what kind of bike?

[Nanjing to Seoul]

24. Kunming, the Tower Karsts of Guilin, Xizang (but you need a few more pieces of visas)

[grahamhgreen]

27. Thanks! Going on the list - Here's a heart for v-day!!!

[awoke_in_2003]

14. Looks like a lot of industrial cities...

in the US during the 60s and 70s.

[sakabatou]

15. If it's no longer suitable life

will it be evacuated?

[elzenmahn]

18. I have family in Southern California...

...and I remember how bad the smog can be.

But this is ridiculous - and one of the end results of the corporate takeover of government.

[heaven05]

22. capitalist greed and it's consequence.

while some people are raking in huge bucks, many people are suffering and dying because of it. The 25 cent an hour worker....well they can be replaced. Is there is no way to stop the slaughter for profit model? No way, it seems. TPP, XLoil pipes, BP, fukishima, all for profit at the expense of human health and welfare. I'm not on a rant, just very concerned at what the drive for huge corporate profit has created. Is my concern unfounded?

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

31. I made several trips to Beijing in the mid 90s and the smog was pretty bad then

I don't think this is a recent problem. I asked our hosts about it and they said Beijing is located in a kind of basin where there's little air movement and the mountains to the north trap the smog.