Beijing Issues 'Red Alert' Over Smog (independent.co.uk)

An anonymous reader writes: The Chinese capital of Beijing has issued a "red alert" for air quality within the city, the first time the city has reached the level of caution where it's deemed "unhealthy" for all residents. Starting Tuesday morning, schools will be shut down, the production of smoke will be limited, and cars will be under an odd/even alternate day ban while the local government waits for air quality to improve. It's expected to last until mid-day on Thursday when the weather looks likely to blow it away. "Air pollution monitors showed that areas of Beijing had more than 256 micrograms per cubic metre of the poisonous particles. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that anything over 25 micrograms is considered unsafe. The poisonous smog in Beijing is caused by the burning of coal for industry and heating, as well as huge amounts of dust from the city's many construction sites. The problem is being made yet worse by high humidity and low wind." The city has been in bad shape for a while now, and Greenpeace called for this very measure a week ago.

Comments

Race to the bottom

[Tablizer]

Let this be a reminder to those enamored with politicians who claim "we can compete with China by relaxing our regulations".

I believe we should tariff goods from countries who don't adhere to basic labor, pollution, and safety standards.

For those who claim that prevents such countries from "advancing", the country can instead encourage more local consumption. Asian countries have been slow to do this, largely because governments are afraid it will make their population pop-culture addicts, like those found in the USA. They don't like "work hard, play hard". They only want the first.

But if you want the benefits of pop culture (sales & profits), you have to take the downsides also. We make it too easy for them to have the good sides of globalization without the bad. We should put our foot down. Why do we always trade on THEIR terms?

Re:Race to the bottom

[DarkOx]

blah blah blah, you'd put over half the U.S. population into poverty since they wouldn't be able to buy things to meet their basic needs, as they are made in China.

Right because China completely cut off trade with us if we put reasonable tariffs in place and turned the heat up (tariff size slowly) until they either adopted similar labor and environmental standards.

No they won't do that because we are the biggest market and if they had to stop selling into our market in large quantity their own economy would completely collapse. The time to end free-trade and use access to our market as a lever to affect Chinese policy is NOW not later after they have expanded their domestic market. If we force China to reform today they won't be able to roll back those reforms in the future even if we are no longer as large a trade partner as a percentage of their overall economy. Its not like you can get a workforce accustom to safe conditions and fair wages and than take it away without revolts.

No it would not plunge the US into poverty. Poverty is about not meeting ones basic needs, food, heat, shelter. Those things for the most part don't come from China. Its electronics gadgets nobody really needs that would shoot up in price. Now that might also mean some medical equipment and less elastic goods as well. Provide we don't completely shut down trade overnight the effects could be controlled. The quality of life might fall a little bit for the upper middle class and the well healed, that is alright. It will be short while domestic industry pops up to provide a source of the cheap goods we are no longer bringing in from China, it should also create jobs and push wages up here, which will help close down the wage gap everyone is so worried about.

'Free' Trade with China, while they don't play by the rules and are permitted to play games with their currency, bring labor to market in ways our sensibilities would never allow, and operate excessively dirty industry rather than investing in cleaner improved processes is dumb. Its bad policy that has been hurting us for the last 30 years and it should be stopped.

Re:How does their current level compare to 1970's

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

...or London in 1952?

http://history1900s.about.com/...

Posting from Beijing...

[Foobar of Borg]

It's a total madhouse here! We're on red alert because of the smog. A klaxon keeps blaring, while red lights keep flashing at every street corner. In Tianamen Square, the large portrait of Mao Tse Tung, which has a speaker set behind the mouth for such occasions, keeps shouting out (translated from the Mandarin): "This is a red alert! This is a red alert! Stay in your homes! Stay in your homes! Long live the Glorious Revolution!"

OHHH HEYY!

[NetNed]

Where are all those that kept saying China is leading the way in cleaning up pollution? These are the same people that doubted when I said by 9am there you can barely see across the street. GET OUT OF YOU BASEMENTS PALE WHITE VIRGINS!