China’s Fight With Air Quality

Just in case you missed the Olympic games this past summer, the polluted air in Beijing was a popular subject. Athletes complained about exercising in the smog. The Chinese government took drastic steps to reduce pollution, including limiting driving during the games. Yet, despite the best efforts of many, Beijing’s air never looked good.

Here’s a photo of the sky around 9am just before we left Beijing. That’s the Sun straining to burn it’s way through the clouds.

A lot of our pictures of the city of Beijing look as if they’ve been taken on cloudy days. Unfortunately, the “clouds” are really smog. While there’s no noticeable scent or taste to the air, I’ve begun to feel irritation in my eyes and throat.

Amplifying the effects of Beijing’s smog is the constant presence of cigarette smoke. In restaurants, in cars, on crowded streets, and even at sacred monuments (such as the Forbidden City), smoking is constant. While no-smoking signs are numerous, enforcement is non-existent.

Beijing, as bad as it is, is said to be above-average for many Chinese cities. Xian and Shanghai aren’t likely to be any better in terms of smog, sunshine, and of course cigarette smoke.

The bottom line: I am looking forward to breathing easy and seeing the Sun again when we finish our Chinese big-city tour.