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US Embassy Categorizes Beijing Air Quality As 'Crazy Bad'

Posted by samzenpus on from the it-totally-sucks dept.

digitaldc writes "Pollution in Beijing was so bad Friday the US embassy, which has been independently monitoring air quality, ran out of conventional adjectives to describe it, at one point saying it was 'crazy bad.' The embassy later deleted the phrase, saying it was an 'incorrect' description and it would revise the language to use when the air quality index goes above 500, its highest point and a level considered hazardous for all people by US standards. The hazardous haze has forced schools to stop outdoor exercises, and health experts asked residents, especially those with respiratory problems, the elderly and children, to stay indoors."

4 of 270 comments (clear)

  1. No kidding. by Jugalator · · Score: 4, Interesting

    When I was in Beijing a few years ago, after a while the days there started to feel kind of like the day before you're going to catch a cold.

    --
    Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
  2. I was at a loss for words by Christoph · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I found it hard to believe or describe when I visited (in 2004). From one block north, the Forbidden City was obscured by smog on a cloudless day. It otherwise felt like you were smoking all the time.

    --
    www.cgstock.com
  3. When will China have their 60's? by cryfreedomlove · · Score: 4, Interesting

    When will the youth of China decide they've had enough of conformity and respect for authority? China has raised it standard of living in recent decades but they still suffer from a severe lack of basic freedoms, corruption, and choking pollution. The civil rights movement and Vietnam triggered the events of the 60's in the USA. When will the same happen in China?

  4. A Prime Example of Externalized Costs. by Ron+Bennett · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The bad air quality is a prime example of an externalized cost.

    Many people claim the reason for offshoring is wages, but that's only part of it...

    Much of the savings comes from the ability to operate a factory in China under less stringent rules - less labor protections, less safety, less pollution controls, etc.

    Eventually China will crack down on polluters (they already do on an ad hoc basis, such as briefly during the 2008 Olympics) improving air quality, but also increasing production costs, which will then push many companies to offshore to the next cheaper place where such costs can again be externalized.

    Ron

    p.s. why is the comment entry window so narrow? More breakage - Slashdot was more usable in 1998 than it is now, but hey I guess this is progress... bah!