Smog is one of China's biggest problems. Smog is similar to fog, in which nothing is visible a few meters away and it is very difficult to breathe.
Causes of smog in China?
Where in China could? Smog in China is caused by heavy air pollution. This is due to the fact that there are many factories in China that emit hazardous substances. In addition, coal is heated in the northern provinces, which also pollutes the atmosphere. Therefore, the dirtiest period in China is winter. In winter, smog envelops almost the entire country, but is especially common in the north: in Beijing, Changchun, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao. Light smog, the Chinese no longer notice. More or less clean air in the south of China, in Tibet, in Yunnan province, on Hainan Island, in the Uighur Autonomous Region and partly in Inner Mongolia. Periodically there is smog brought by the wind from northern China. Among megacities, Shenzhen is considered the cleanest in this regard.
Chinese smog is a big environmental disaster not only for China. But the whole world turns a blind eye to her, because no one wants to quarrel with the Middle Kingdom. Sometimes smog from China reaches Russia, sometimes it covers South Korea. It happens that smog reaches Taiwan and Southeast Asia and even America. About 28% of San Francisco's smog is said to be Chinese.
What do the Chinese breathe?
It’s even scary to imagine what the Chinese breathe and what’s going on in their lungs. People are dying from polluted air, and smog causes a lot of problems. When it rains, dirt settles on the ground and enters the water. Then it turns out to be what people eat and drink. Living in such an environment is difficult and very harmful. Periodically, Beijing and other major cities in China are declared the highest level of danger due to smog. Everyone does not like it, but the Chinese are already used to it. While the smog intensifies in Beijing, schools are closed, many do not go to work, people try to stay at home if there is no special need, and if they go outside, they wear masks. The Chinese install air purifiers in their homes. Because of the smog, many people leave China.
Prospects for smog
According to the Chinese government, the great Chinese smog is the main dissatisfaction of the people of the country. Attempts are constantly being made to combat this phenomenon, but so far to no avail. The government plans to close all coal stations by 2017, and to completely rid China of smog by 2030. By the Winter Olympics in 2022, they promise to significantly clean the air. Most likely, production will simply be suspended for a certain period, as it was already during the summer Olympics. It seems that in the future this ecological catastrophe in China will only progress.
People in China are also trying to fight smog in a public way. They arrange exhibitions of photographs of smog, designers present entire collections of street masks, the Internet is full of various jokes about a Chinese who vacuumed the air and has already vacuumed a whole brick. You can install the application of air pollution levels throughout China on your phone.
Since the beginning of 2013, signs of an imminent environmental disaster have been recorded in China for the 4th time. On Tuesday, January 29, poisonous smog again covered the capital and the eastern regions. The government has issued a "yellow" alert level and is strongly advising residents not to leave their homes. Due to low visibility, dozens of flights have been canceled and some highways have been closed.
Last Tuesday, the index of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) in the air was 526 units? Is it a lot or a little? This is tens of times higher than the safe norm for health determined by the World Health Organization, defined as 25 micrograms of dirty particles per 1 cubic meter. air.
The biggest air pollution was recorded on January 13, when the index of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) in the air exceeded 900 units.
Interactive photography. Satellite photo. Beijing is at the top center. One photo was taken on January 3, 2013, when the air was clear, the second was taken on January 14, when a poisonous smog appeared. (Photo by NASA, Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response):
Interactive photography. This is Beijing. One photo was taken on January 12, 2013, when the air was clear, the second was taken on January 16, when a poisonous smog appeared. [Click on photo to purify/pollute the air] (Photo by Reuters | Stringer):
Interactive photography. Beijing. One photo was taken on January 10, 2013 in the morning, the second - also on January 10, but in the afternoon. [Click on photo to purify/pollute the air] (Photo by David Gray | Reuters):
Interactive photography. Beijing. One photo was taken on February 4, 2012, the second - on January 14, 2013, when poisonous smog appeared here. [Click on photo to purify/pollute the air] (Photo by Ed Jones | AFP | Getty Images):
Since the beginning of the year, the PM 2.5 index in Shanghai and Guangzhou has consistently reached dangerously high levels of 200 units. (Photo courtesy of Ai Weiwei) | Reuters):
, January 9, 2013. Asia's leading financial center intends to fight environmental pollution from ships using low-quality fuel. (Photo by Philippe Lopez | AFP | Getty Images):
Now in Beijing, blue skies can only be seen in pictures or posters, January 23, 2013. (Photo by Feng Li | Getty Images):
Also, since the beginning of 2013, the number of patients with respiratory diseases has greatly increased. Children's hospitals in Beijing are overcrowded. Everyone is wearing masks. (Photo by Jason Lee | Reuters):
The Chinese authorities have temporarily closed more than 100 polluting factories and enterprises, as well as reduced the government vehicle fleet by 30%. All this is done to combat toxic smog. (Photo by Reuters | Stringer):
TV tower "Oriental Pearl" in the poisonous smog. This is the second highest TV tower in Asia (468 meters high), the fifth highest in the world. Shanghai, January 21, 2013. (Photo by Carlos Barria | Reuters):
In addition to Beijing, poisonous smog enveloped the eastern Chinese province of Shandong on January 19. Capturing poisonous smog is no easy task. (Photo by AFP | Getty Images):
More than 20 flights were canceled at the airport in the city of Qingdao in the east of Shandong province on Tuesday, and many high-speed highways were closed in the province.
And this is poisonous smog at the Beijing airport. On January 29, 49 flights were canceled here. (Photo by John E. Williamson):
Car traffic "to the touch". Anhui Province, January 14, 2013. (Photo by STR | AFP | Getty Images):
Measurement of the index of content in the air of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) in Beijing on January 23, 2013. Recall that the safe norm for health is 25 micrograms of dirty particles per 1 cubic meter. air. (Photo by Mark Ralston | AFP | Getty Images):
Poisonous smog in the largest square in the world - Tiananmen Square in Beijing, January 29, 2013. (Photo by Feng Li | Getty Images):
For the new mayor of Beijing, the environmental situation in the city will become a priority. However, air cleanliness problems affect residents of almost all major cities in China. (Photo by Reuters | Jason Lee):
January 30, 2013 poisonous smog covered an area of 1.3 million square kilometers. (Photo by Feng Li | Getty Images):
Entrepreneurial Chinese billionaire Chen Guanbao launched cans of fresh air for residents of polluted cities. There are several flavors in the assortment, such as "ancient Tibet", "post-industrial Taiwan" and "revolutionary Yan'an", such a can costs about 80 cents. (Photo by Barry Huang | Reuters):
Toxic smog in Beijing, China, January 2013. (Photo by Ed Jones | AFP | Getty Images):
Earlier this week, dense smog enveloped China's capital, turning skyscrapers into dark silhouettes and clean air into a yellowish mist. The Chas Pope channel has edited a visual and rather creepy time-lapse showing how the veil covers the city:
The smoky veil covered Beijing and 24 other cities in China, as a result of which the authorities assigned the red code "dense fog" to what is happening - the highest degree of threat. In recent years, the air quality in Beijing has dropped so much that many schools have been simply closed, and farmers have staged a real panic due to the fact that the plants no longer receive the necessary doses of sunlight. Protective face masks have become commonplace for residents of the metropolis, and clear skies can often only be seen on huge screens of banners installed throughout the city.
But where did such a mass of dirty air come from? Smog in China is man-made, fueled both by emissions from industrial production and transport (most often seen in the winter, when a sharp drop in temperature leads to increased demand for electricity), and, for example, by burning coal. The latter is associated with the highest number of deaths from air pollution poisoning, which claimed the lives of 366,000 people in 2013.
Smog is caused by tiny but solid particles in the air. They can obscure visibility and make breathing difficult, cause plant-killing acid rain, and discolor paint on buildings. However, the most important problem is what happens when these particles enter the human body. Particles larger than 10 microns are of the greatest interest to doctors and researchers - even such crumbs can exacerbate asthma, damage the lungs and even cause a heart attack. For those who already have pathologies and diseases associated with the cardiovascular or respiratory system, an attempt to inhale smog can turn into a tragedy.
Beijing's troubles are aggravated by its geographical position. Beijing borders the Xishan and Yangshan mountains. Because of this, when the pressure rises, there is no movement of air masses within the city, since they cannot overcome the mountain ranges. Therefore, the air stagnates, becoming more and more dirty and dangerous to health day by day.
Now China is trying to solve this problem with all its might. For example, the government introduced a restriction on driving cars, but it is clear to everyone that this is only a temporary measure. This week, the authorities announced that they will spend about $30 billion to develop renewable energy projects, that is, solar and wind generators. Be that as it may, it will be a long way: today China is the world's largest consumer of coal, and it is not possible to quickly reorient such a powerful economic and production machine.
But there is also reason for optimism. An example for Beijing is Los Angeles, where a similar geographic and industrial environment has been overcome by strict regulations and good economic regulation, reducing smog levels to negligible levels in recent decades, and clear skies again for the city's residents. It remains to be hoped that the residents of Beijing will one day be able to leave the house without masks and breathe clean air to the fullest.
In autumn and winter in Beijing there is a terrible smog. And in other cities too.
Already in 104 Chinese cities, pollution levels have reached 300 micrograms per cubic meter, 12 times the recommended level.
More than 70 percent of fresh water bodies are unsuitable for animals to drink from them. In fact, the country is turning into a huge gas chamber.
Here is the difference. Left - when I could. And on the right it is not. It's not easy to take a breath of fresh air in China.
In many cities in China, walking the streets without a mask is uncomfortable. Many Chinese do not go out without them. Many people wear a mask as a preventive measure against infectious diseases, but mainly because breathing polluted air is very harmful.
The harm from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day is equivalent to the harm from walking through the streets of Beijing without a mask. Smog, like the Great Wall of China, is visible from space.
The release of toxic substances into the atmosphere in China is so great that it does not have time to dissipate before it crosses the Pacific Ocean and reaches San Francisco. In this city, a fourth of the dirty air is Chinese. The San Franciscans, of course, are very unhappy with this.
Smog is caused by tiny but solid particles in the air. They can obscure visibility and make breathing difficult, cause plant-killing acid rain, and discolor paint on buildings.
If these particles enter the human body, they can exacerbate asthma, damage the lungs, and cause a heart attack.
It seems that the city survived the nuclear winter. It's almost impossible to see anything. It looks like the entire city is on fire. There is a constant cough with black sputum, there is even the concept of "Beijing cough".
Clear skies were often only visible on huge banner screens set up throughout the city.
This video was filmed in January 2017. In the fast motion mode, you can see how in 20 minutes the haze almost completely envelops one of the streets of the Chinese capital.
Skyscrapers turn into dark silhouettes, and clean air into a yellowish fog. Then airports, kindergartens and schools are closed.
Farmers staged a real panic due to the fact that the plants stopped receiving the necessary doses of sunlight.
There are several reasons for smog. More than 20 million people live in Beijing, and many more come here. On the streets there are a huge number of all kinds of eateries, cooking on an open fire. The sharp drop in temperature in winter leads to an increased demand for electricity.
The exorbitant passion of the capital's residents for cars exacerbated the situation. There are over 5 million cars in Beijing. The narrow streets of the capital, unorganized traffic - a cloud of exhaust gases mixed with industrial soot and dust, an infernal haze hung over the city.
The main cause of smog is China's coal plants and oil giants, which produce low quality fuel.
Due to the terrible ecology, foreign specialists began to leave Beijing, primarily those who have children. Wealthy Chinese are also not far behind, either leaving for cleaner cities in China or emigrating to other countries.
Now the authorities are trying to solve this problem with smog by all means. They promise to close the only coal-fired power plant in Beijing. And soon to close all coal stations. By 2030, completely rid China of smog.
By the Winter Olympics in 2022, they promise to significantly clean the air. Here are my surprises. Who voted to organize such a big holiday in the winter in Beijing. Were they there? Just nightmares. Most likely, production will simply be suspended for a certain period, as it was already during the summer Olympics.
They plan to build special structures consisting of powerful fans that will help fight urban smog. Ventilation corridors 500 meters long and 80 meters long are planned to be built along green areas and highways. Such systems will be able to increase the air flow, smog will be blown out of the city.
There are restrictions on driving. They plan to spend 30 billion dollars for the development of renewable energy projects, that is, solar and wind generators.
In the meantime, you have to breathe this smog, what can you do.
MOSCOW, January 9 - RIA Novosti. The reason for the existence of constant smog in the capital of China is not only car engines, but also coal-fired power plants and boilers on the outskirts of Beijing, environmentalists say in an article published in the journal
"In the early stages of air pollution over Beijing, its condition was affected by winds that carried air at an altitude of about 500-1000 meters from the south. When the smog formed, the height of the zone where the air masses mix dropped sharply, as a result of which the concentration of harmful substances increased sharply In addition, the increase in air humidity has led to an explosive growth in the concentration of aerosol droplets in the air,” says Yuesi Wang from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Academy of Sciences in Beijing (China).
Beijing, according to scientists, is considered one of the most polluted cities in China and on Earth as a whole. Smog almost constantly hangs over the city, which the city authorities unsuccessfully tried to disperse on the eve of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Residents of the city and environmentalists considered the cause of pollution to be a sharp increase in the number of cars: over the past 15 years, their number has increased 7 times and reached 17 million.
As Wang and his colleagues found out, in fact, not only machines were to blame for the birth of smog, but also other products of civilization and processes in the lower atmosphere, which intensified and accelerated the formation of "fog", as the Chinese authorities call it.
Beijing in the grip of smog or Breathing deeply is not recommendedOn December 16, a "red" alert level was issued in the Chinese capital due to air pollution. Since then, the situation has only worsened, but Beijing residents are waiting for the night from Wednesday to Thursday, when the coming cold snap should "ventilate" the city of many millions.Chinese ecologists came to this conclusion by observing where and how air flows in the lower atmosphere about a kilometer above the Earth's surface. Here is the so-called "mixing zone" - a layer of the atmosphere where gases rising from the surface "dissolve" in the air due to the existence of turbulent winds there.
This process plays an important role in the Earth's ecology, as it allows harmful emissions to dissipate and prevent them from accumulating over cities and industrial centers. As it turned out, the processes in this zone and its very position depend on how heavily polluted the air is.
By observing the formation of smog in Beijing, Tianqing and a number of other cities in the North China Lowland in October and November 2014, Chinese scientists found that the combination of a large amount of steam emissions, exhaust gases and warm air streams moving towards the Chinese capital from the nearby plateau, leads to a sharp decrease in the height of this zone.
At an altitude of about 500 meters above the Earth's surface, the winds do not blow as strongly as in higher layers of the atmosphere, as a result of which the speed at which exhaust gases and aerosols dissipate drops sharply, and they begin to quickly accumulate in the air over Beijing, creating smog. .
Thus, the trigger mechanism for this process is not cars in the center of the capital, but coal-fired power plants and industrial enterprises in the vicinity of Beijing, throwing aerosols into the air masses that move towards Beijing from high areas of the terrain.
This means that it will be possible to fight smog in Beijing only when restrictions on the burning of coal and oil products are introduced not only in the capital of China itself, but also in those areas through which air masses move, the scientists conclude.