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Published: March 19th 2008
March 18, 2008
Beijing Pollution plus the Sand Storm takes a heavy toll.I experienced my first, major sandstorm in Beijing yesterday. I am officially marking that date (March 18, 2008). We do not know why it happened or it why it was so bad. It was supposed to rain! In Beijing, it really does not rain that often. When it does, it is a glorious thing because it also clears up the pollution a little bit. Well, that is what I am told because it has yet to rain here in the past 5 weeks. Anyways, my friends and I were very excited to wake up on Tuesday morning to a rain storm and a chance to breath clearly. Much to our dismay, we woke up to a sand storm! It was terrible. The sky was literally orange and brown. If that was not bad enough, you could see the particles in front of your face as you walked through them. I was sitting inside my dorm room to try to avoid the treacherous weather and it did not help. It gets all over you and you can feel the dirt and grime on your skin. It's like sitting on the beach with wet skin and the sand sticks and dries onto you
A Little of Both
This day had a little of both going on, but nothing like March 18. The orangish/brownish tint is the sand and dirt and the grey is the pollution. getting everywhere. Worst of all, with every breath that you take you can feel the small sand, dust, and polluted particles filling your insides. So, while you're sitting on the beach, you've also decided to eat a plate full of sand. Just for the record, Beijing sand storms are not as fun as being on a beach. Do you breath through your nose or mouth? It does not matter - either way, you are screwed (for lack of a better term).
Before today, we have had some pretty polluted days when the sky is a severe grey color. During these times, you can not see things in the distance because the pollution is so dense. So, when the mountains and buildings have disappeared and you're having trouble breathing, it's polluted. It's pretty common to be able to look directly at the sun without squinting or having your eyes water. You know it's a good day when you can not fully look at it. Even on those days it is hard to breathe and you think it is the worst thing in the world. Some times, the Beijingers actually check the "Air Pollution Index" (API) for the day before they
Olympic Natatorium
This is a picture of the Olympic Natatorium on what weather.com called a "clear, sunny, and cloudless" day. check the temperature. Not including yesterday, the worst day of pollution that we had had was rated at a 160 (approximately). Yesterday's API was an incredible 360! I have now decided that I will take any day of pollution as long as there is no sand and dirt mixed with it. Neither are good separately, but together they're terrible.
"Much of the city's haze is caused by dust whipped up from construction sites and the Gobi Desert. But the real health dangers come from toxic vehicle emissions and that's something all Beijing residents need to take responsibility for.
Satellite images taken by the European Space Agency in 2005 show Beijing and the surrounding north-east China region has the world's worst nitrogen dioxide pollution. This noxious heavy gas can cause potentially deadly lung damage and respiratory problems. Combined with air particles, it often blankets the city in a brownish pall" (http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-70696.html).
So, what I'm saying is, "Lung Damage, here I come."
I think the pictures say enough. What's sad, is that through the pictures, you don't capture the full pollution. The main picture captures the pollution and sand pretty well. However, the rest of the grey skies pictures
The Birds' Nest Stadium
This is a picture of the main Olympic Stadium on that same day. are actually darker in person. Have fun.
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Jan
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"Monsoon"
...in Arizona the heavy dust storm is called a "Monsoon" and it is a routine "season".........