China’s Pollution Is So Insane You Can See It From Space

[The Straight Story]

China’s Pollution Is So Insane You Can See It From Space



This is really bad. NASA has published an image of the pollution haze taking all over the North China Plain. Yes, it's so bad that you can see it taking over thousands of square miles from space.

Things were so bad that visibility dropped to 200 meters. The Chinese capital's airport had to cancel 43 flights and delayed 80 more.

The first image—taken by NASA's Aqua satellite—shows the situation on January 10. The entire North China Plain was covered with a gray pollution haze. You can also see white patches: that's normal fog hanging below the haze. On the second image, you can see the skies on the next day: the heaviest pollution is mostly gone, moved by the wind.

According to NASA's Earth Observatory, the haze is mostly made of two kinds of particles, PM10 and PM2.5. The number refers to their size: 10 micrometers and 2.5 micrometers. They are made of "dust, liquid drops, and soot from burning fuel or coal." Most of the pollution is made of PM2.5. These are highly reflective, which is why we can see them from space when their concentration is high enough.

http://gizmodo.com/5875972/chinas-pollution-is-so-insane-you-can-see-it-from-space

[FreakinDJ]

1. Out Sourced Jobs - the Gift the Keeps on Giving

[Zalatix]

2. Oh noes! Not another thread on outsourcing!!! Hahahaha well done, K&R!

This is what globalism is doing to the world.

[KT2000]

3. it also causes problems

for electronics manufacturing.

[PearliePoo2]

4. When my brother was in China a few years ago...

A young translator asked him if he could see the stars at night from his home in Washington State. (she has never seen them clearly).
When my brother returned home, the friend who had accompanied him had to admit himself to a hospital with respiratory distress. The pollution was that bad.

[Zalatix]

6. Jaw drop, indeed. Did your brother visit Linfeng?

[PearliePoo2]

10. I can't recall what city it was, but it was a coastal port.

The entire time he was there, the visibility was so bad he could not see any surrounding geographic features.
Coal smoke 24/7.
BTW...the young translator quietly asked my brother this question after they had had a few drinks and the government "handler" assigned to them left their table to use the restroom.

[Zalatix]

12. LOL, government HANDLERS???

Is it really that bad in China that they must monitor what every employee says?

[hobbit709]

31. I guess you've never been around that type of government before.

[joshcryer]

55. Minders are actually quite common in those countries.

Anywhere there's a cause for dissension minders come along and hold your hand.

[stevedeshazer]

5. The U.S. economy is literally pissing upstream and drinking downstream.

Prevailing winds across the Pacific blowing across North America bring it all right back to us.

[lpbk2713]

7. Population Control --- Chinese style.

It won't be long before they start dropping off like flies.

[treestar]

23. True. China already has the one child policy

And of course that leads to female infanticide.

[DCBob]

8. Environmental problems could be the undoing of China's economy.

At some point this will come back to haunt them in widespread health problems, negative impacts on forests, fish kills, and even corrosion of concrete and metals.

BTW, this is the kind of situation we would have in this country if the Republicans had their way.

[Zalatix]

9. Our outsourcing of jobs to China is actually CAUSING this pollution. We're making this happen.

[DCBob]

11. I think its a bit more complex than that.

[cherokeeprogressive]

15. Oversimplification to the Nth degree. n/t

[Zalatix]

16. Not oversimplification. And I can back that up with cites. Tons of them.

You can find them here.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002167819

[DCBob]

19. Coal is the biggest problem in China.

They use massive amouts of it for heating and electricity with no scrubbers. They are by far the largest users of coal worldwide and the worst offenders in regard to polluting smokestacks. Sure globalization made the situation worse but this would be happening regardless.

[Zalatix]

24. Worse being the point. Also, America is highly culpable here.

We can't just wash our hands with "they're doing it already, what's a little (or a lot of) added pollution?"

[DCBob]

28. The Chinese are beginning to deal with issues like this... they have to.

The situation is forcing them to react since the negative impacts are obvious and becoming critical. Although clearly they are not doing enough. It might be appropriate for us to offer to assist them along with threats of putting restrictions on certain types of trade in products that cause the most polution to produce... a kind of carrot/stick approach. That might work.

[Zalatix]

32. China's stuck in a cannot-win situation.

If they enforce higher emissions standards then their products will cost a LOT more to make. That cuts into their competitive trade advantage.

[Gregorian]

13. And by "China's" they mean our pollution.

7 billion can't have playstations without it. Nor cars. Nor pots and pans, or medical supplies, or food, or all of the rest that comes with comfortable living.

It'll be our legacy to the remaining people on planet earth. We did it.

[Zalatix]

17. We need to research eco-friendly manufacturing. But it won't happen with globalism.

Manufacturing without deference to eco-friendliness is cheap in the short term, it looks good on the quarterly reports.

[Gregorian]

37. There's a certain amount of what humans do in a modern society that cannot be "eco-friendly".

The ratio of 8 billion divided by that number is what we must be discussing if we're ever going to tame this beast.

There is no discussion without the population as a factor. I personally believe it's not solvable. We've taken on this lifestyle, and we aren't going back.

As an engineer I find it fascinating how it all happened. Aristotle thought F=mv. Newton found that F=ma. It goes back several thousand years. Just like population is exponential, so has been our rate of scientific discovery. Up until 300 years ago we still thought that mass was a factor in the speed with which things fall to earth under the acceleration of gravity. We didn't know much at all until recently. And what I find so amazing is that essentially all of the environmental damage that has been done has been done in around 50.000 days.

[jwirr]

14. All that gray stuff is junk we are buying from them.

[treestar]

22. Exactly!

To save who knows how few bucks!

Same phenomena that causes the local business to close because the chain opens up. The chain can charge less for the same item.

One thing you can count on regarding Americans. One cent less in the price and they'll patronize that seller, not the local, even if they knew him or her personally and that it will put them out of business.

[Zalatix]

25. Here's our way to reduce that 30% of the world's resource usage.

Bring the production back home. Regulate the emissions by our factories. Recycle used electronics.

Or if China wants to keep exporting to us, they can abide by our high standards.

[Amonester]

57. China exports ship to Europe also.

It's a global problem.

[Zalatix]

58. Doesn't change the fact that America can reduce its own carbon footprint

by reducing imports from China in favor of factories here that pollute less.

[BlueIris]

18. Gross. nt

[surfdog]

20. The USA went through this

Phase as well as we developed

We are hypocrites to point the finger

[DCBob]

21. Air pollution during the industrial revolution in the US and England was far worse than China now.

from history.com..

"By the late 18th century and first part of the 19th century, coal came into large-scale use during the Industrial Revolution. The resulting smog and soot had serious health impacts on the residents of growing urban centers. In 1952, pollutants from factories and home fireplaces mixed with air condensation killed at least 4,000 people in London over the course of several days. A few years earlier, in 1948, severe industrial air pollution created a deadly smog that asphyxiated 20 people in Donora, Pennsylvania, and made 7,000 more sick. Acid rain, first discovered in the 1850s, was another problem resulting from coal-powered plants. The release of human-produced sulfur and nitrogen compounds into the atmosphere negatively impacted plants, fish, soil, forests and some building materials."

http://www.history.com/topics/water-and-air-pollution

[Zalatix]

36. Hello, we've improved since then.

[DCBob]

42. Hello.. of course we have.

You clearly dont get it. China is going through its own "industrial revolution" now. One would hope they would have learned from our mistakes but it seems they are going to have to go through the same painful process we did.

[Zalatix]

45. See Post #29

For why you clearly don't get it.

[DCBob]

46. The Chinese dont get it.

They will eventually as the problems associated with extreme pollution become a crisis.

[Zalatix]

47. All I'm interested in is what America can do about this. We are responsible for China's problems.

We outsourced factories to China and encouraged them to lowball us with cheap imports made with slave or near-slave labor, no pollution controls and no workplace safety standards - you know, the things that make American products so expensive.

"But China would have done it anyway!!" so what? We took a part in encouraging them. This is partially our fault. We own it. America is polluting the world by outsourcing our pollution.

We gotta own this. Either China immediately accepts the outsourcing of pollution controls and cuts down on their pollution, or we stop participating in the encouragement of this destruction of our environment and we stop importing.

It'll make imports more expensive, but we are paying the price for our thirst for "cheap" goods in other ways.

Own it. Stop encouraging it.

[DCBob]

49. I think we should make more demands on the Chinese regarding this as well as other issues.

The problem is China isnt likely to respond to pressures from the US since they have us by the balls... ie.. holding a huge percent of our debt.

[Zalatix]

51. They can call in that debt. The United States is FULLY 1/5 of the world's GDP.

Call in the debt. If they do, there goes their 2nd biggest export market. And every OTHER export market will tumble because of their move, too. Starting with the Middle Eastern oil states.

EVERYONE will be pissed at China if they call in our debt.

They'll also be outsourcing work to us afterwards...

[octothorpe]

50. China could have said no to all that. :)

China not having strict regulations because it would hurt their economy is their own doing. Reverse the situation, and it would be the US at fault as far as I'm concerned.

[FrodosPet]

64. Foreign aid, not commerce!

Perhaps if we keep all of our manufacturing and commerce here in America, and quit buying stuff from China and the rest of the world unless they agree to our standards and supervision (and only sell unique products that cannot be manufactured here), our economy will be so strong we can offer the rest of the world trillions of dollars in aid, which they can use to buy American goods and services, which will make our economy even stronger and give us even more resources for foreign aid, which they can use to buy American goods and services, which will make our economy even stronger and give us even more resources for foreign aid, and so on and so on.

What is so hard for the politicians to understand about that?

[newspeak]

63. yeah, well the repugs love them some chinese government

they've already started spouting that they want no regulation to interfere with corporations coming back to the US. Apparently, china, being such a communist country, has penalties for anyone attempting to start a union-I believe it's twelve years in prison. Working over thirty hours a day for about 35 cents an hour. There's a reason they've put up safety nets to catch those who want to end their lives.

Corporations from other industrialized nations are not children. They know they are polluting, and they just don't want to spend the extra bucks to rectify the problem. They're doing it in mexico and they're doing it in china. And repugs want the same for this country. That's because they love the country and people so much. Truly, they are some kind of patriots.

[NYC Liberal]

29. How much was known about the effects of pollution like this in the 19th century?

I'm not excusing anything; just wondering.

[lovuian]

26. Capitalism at is Best ...Killer in progress

its only going to get worse and worse

[hunter]

27. When the USA looked like that there was no way to see the mess from space.

It's a shame that nations like China, Brazil, etc., have to experience the same environmental horrors older industrial nations did.

When will we ever learn?

[pampango]

30. Even worse: US per capita pollution is 3 times worse than China's. n/t

[Zalatix]

35. Please explain. You posted no cites for this.

[RZM]

56. Our economy is larger and our population much smaller

So that makes sense. But it's also troubling that China is polluting as much as we do with a smaller economy.

[bvar22]

33. Thank You, Bill Clinton and the other Free Trade "Centrist" Democrats.

Your legacy can be seen from Outer Space!!!!
Why doesn't the Giant "Invisible Hand" reach down and clean up this mess?

"Clinton Grants China MFN, Reversing Campaign Pledge"

http://tech.mit.edu/V114/N27/china.27w.html



You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.
[font size=5 color=green][center]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]

[JCMach1]

40. So Poppy Bush and his Republican business cronies had nothing to do with the fact

they invested heavily in China after Tienanmen Square?

Please!!! The cow was out of the barn long before Clinton took office...

[bvar22]

43. I don't get angry when dogs act like dogs.

I expect Republicans to act like Republicans.
I don't vote for them, or give them money.

I DO get angry when Democrats act like Republicans.



[font color=firebrick][center]"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want a party that will STAND UP for Working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone [/font][/center]
[center][/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]

[Zalatix]

48. Agreed. Democrats who support free trade are hypocrites. Republicans are just being Republicans.

[JCMach1]

52. So you would rather bash the democrat... Meh!?

Well, obviously, it was the Clenis that caused the massive milky white spot of pollution over Beijing!

[bvar22]

59. Bash a Democrat?

When "Democrats" act like Republicans
by instituting Anti-LABOR/Anti Working Class Trade Policy,
I WILL hold them accountable.
Policy Oriented criticism is NOT "bashing".

However your Ad Hominem response containing only a snarky Strawman
void of substance or policy oriented rebuttal would qualify.

Giving politicians a Free Pass simply because they have a "D" after their name IS the reason why
the Democratic Party has lurched so far to the Big Business Friendly Far Right over the last 30 years.



[font color=firebrick][center]"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want a party that will STAND UP for Working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone [/font][/center]
[center][/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]

[JCMach1]

60. Well, basically you are admitting you would rather attack democrats (i.e. Clinton)

for a very spurious claim at best... China has long had pollution problems that frankly come from poor, Republican-like environmental policies... i.e. not much at all.

And, since you can't seem to take good-natured sarcasm...

You cannot even compare Clinton's labor policies to either of the Bushs (their record was horrific)...

Yeah, you are bashing a Democrat!

[bvar22]

61. Bad Policy IS Bad Policy no matter which letter comes after the name..

Basically you are admitting that When Democrats Do It,
then it is A-OK with you !


Would you have supported Bush-the -Lesser if he had:

*Used the Bully Pulpit to campaign for a reduction in FICA Contributions and called it a "Tax Holiday"?

*Told you to Eat your Peas while extending a Tax Cut to Billionaires?

*Turned a Blind Eye to Wall Street Criminals,
and promoted them to powerful positions in his administration?

*Extended the Tax Cuts for Billionaires, but justified it by giving a one year extension to those whose unemployment benefits were about to expire?

*instituted Mandate to Purchase Insurance with NO Public Option?

*expanded the Drone War

*executed Americans without Due Process?

*Engaged our military in a Civil War in Libya without Congressional Approval or authorization?

*Signed NDAA?


*Would you have attacked Glenn Greenwald (and others) for criticizing Bush-the-Lesser for signing NDAA?



Really?

There are those on DU who have remained consistent,
and those who simply follow the parade.


I've found some compassion for Bill Clinton lately.
It won't be near as much fun being the 2nd Best Republican President EVER!





[font color=firebrick size=3][center]"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone[/font][/center]
[center][/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]



[font size=5 color=firebrick]Solidarity![/font]

[Odin2005]

34. Gross!

[chrisa]

38. Someone was telling me that some rivers are literally black in China.

From all of the pollution.

[AZ Progressive]

39. This is nothing new

[img][/img]

A DAYTIME picture taken in October 1948 at noon in Donora, PA (southwest of Pittsburgh) due to a temperature inversion event that lasted for five days. This event killed about two dozen people and sickened almost half of the 14000 people there.

Source: http://www.pollutionissues.com/Co-Ea/Donora-Pennsylvania.html

Pittsburgh, 1940:
[img][/img]
yes, taken at mid-day.

Source: http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=1-2-D3E

[ellisonz]

41. Yikes!

[bigtree]

44. and their leaders are focusing their time bashing U.S. 'culture'

. . . affecting their prurient sensibilities. Have they even heard of clean air technology?

[joshcryer]

53. This is China's way of trying to solve global warming.

[JCMach1]

54. My uncle who was an environmental scientist for Disney of all people

and has traveled literally everywhere in the world (literally) found China to be (by far) the most dirty and polluted place.

That was 10 years ago!!!!

Imagine what it's like now...

[AngryAmish]

62. Thankfully, they will get all that high sulfur oil from Canada to cure that