Beijing pollution watch
One of the big issues leading up to the Beijing Olympics has been the pollution. Having lived here in the past and also visited many times I know all about it.
I would go for bike rides back in 97-98 and come home covered in soot. It is not a good feeling, especially after having lived in Canberra, Australia where the air quality is mostly good. At times I would take my bike in the car and drive out to the countryside in search of clear air and trees.
Times have changed since back then. A lot of the coal stoves the residents of Beijing have gone. In their place has been a huge increase in the number of cars on the road. That and the factories contributes a lot to the air pollution. My wife also tells me that the sands from the Gobi desert quite often blow this way. My father who lived in Japan said this also was a factor in Tokyo.
Now that I am in Beijing I have seen the effect of the car odds and evens system. The traffic is a lot lighter as a result.
Now you may be wondering how is the air quality now. From what I saw yesterday it was not looking good to start with although it was hard to judge as the skies were heavy with moisture. The photo below shows that you could not see very far. Some rain came and the air looked a bit clearer as I could now make out clouds in the sky.
Today after more rain overnight it is a lot clearer. From the apartment I am staying I could see a lot of Beijing. I could also see the mountains to the west of the city. This view was rare when I lived here in 97-98.
The next photo was taken this morning and visibility is good.
Check back here to see more reports. I will take a daily photo throughout August.
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