Watching China Turn Off the Pollution

NewbieV points out coverage of the effort to assess Beijing's air pollution control efforts. Quote from one of the investigators: "This will be a very interesting experiment that can never happen again." Here's the main project scientist's site on the monitoring effort, and Newsweek coverage that brings out a paradoxical effect of reducing pollution on global warming. "Unmanned aerial vehicles are measuring emissions of soot and other forms of black carbon. The instruments are observing pollution transport patterns as Beijing enacts its 'great shutdown' for the Summer Olympic Games. Chinese officials have compelled reductions in industrial activity by as much as 30 percent and cuts in automobile use by half to safeguard the health of competing athletes immediately before and during the games."

Excellent

[roman_mir]

So next time someone complaints about air pollution, we can just tell him that this is our fight against the global warming.

Let's all pollute the air, the Earth will cool down, then we can stop polluting I guess.

Re:Watching China

[Ethanol-fueled]

Hey, I have an idea: let's develop a series of competitive events dedicated to showing off the pinnacles of raw physical endurance and human health...

...and then host it in one of the world's most polluted cities!

Depends on the Intelligence of Your Audience

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd explain this more but I have to go pick up The Land Before Time XIII: Littlefoot's Revenge [imdb.com] for my daughter.

China effect

[dashesy]

Imagine all Chinese girls wear mini skirts (or better wear bikinis) everyday, there will be more fabric than needed for the poor and of course a lot more to ponder about. o(kX) when k is very large.

Re:Watching China

[raymansean]

that is 82 times the WHO limit...

Re:Watching China

[cayenne8]

"It is all just 'mist.' Does anybody think that China would ever consider cooking the books (on Aug 10 AP measured 604 micrograms/m^3, the BBC measured 278 in another location, and Beijings Air Quality Index which is supposed to be the highest of many different readings measured 82)."

Don't worry...it isn't real. It is some kind of CGI 'mist'. They wipe it clean electronically for the games.

:)

Re:Watching China

[Ironsides]

PSI levels above 400 may be life-threatening to ill and elderly persons. Healthy people may experience adverse symptoms that affect normal activity.

I wonder what they would write about levels above 550!

The air quality in Beijing is little better than being on the outskirts of a forest fire.

The better questions is, what happens when it's over 9000

Re:Watching China

[CogDissident]

Well, despite the DBZ reference. You do just kind of die.

The good news: it IS just "mist". The bad news:

[jeffb (2.718)]

...they're speaking German.

Re:Watching China

[geminidomino]

Well, despite the DBZ reference. You do just kind of die.

And, because of the DBZ reference, he'd deserve it...

Re:Fuck China

[Troed]

I live in georegia but i dont see rusia no where not even sound but they says theres tanks should i be worrie

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:UgWOgw-udKEJ:answers.yahoo.com/question/index%3Fqid%3D20080808091149AA3VGTk+I+live+in+georegia+but+i+dont+see+rusia+no+where+not+even+sound+but+they+says+theres+tanks+should+i+be+worrie&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1 [64.233.183.104]

Re:The good news: it IS just "mist". The bad news:

[psychodelicacy]

Heh - brilliant! Though I fear bilingual jokes are wasted on a community whose most common second language is probably C++ :)

Re:Watching China

[kabocox]

And, because of the DBZ reference, he'd deserve it...

And thanks to those Dragon balls anyone can be brought back. Actually that's the solution to this whole mess. We need a search for the Dragon Balls and wish away this whole global climate change/air pollution thing. ;)

Re:Facts Tell a Different Story

[stinerman]

We know they're all 16, though, because, according to the broadcast, their passports confirm it. What's the point of the new "16 and over" rule if the only way they check ages is by looking at government issued passports?

Seems to me that we need Netcraft to confirm it. Who would doubt their ages then?

Re:Fuck China

[neokushan]

My theory is that one day he decided to drive himself to the white house.