Category: Beijing

Beijing under red alert

7/12/2015

Sunny day in Beijing with light pollution

Chinese authorities have issued a first ever red alert for their nation’s capital because of the toxic smog that has descended on it. The city has just had a reprieve from an orange alert because of smog and now faces three to four days of increased hazard. The hope is that a wave of cold air will help to clear the hazard.

A cold front may dissipate the gunk, but it is also the winter weather that contributes to increased air pollution as coal fired heating plants gear up.

The state has taken precautions to keep children from venturing outside by advising schools from kindergarten to graduation to remain closed for the duration. Outdoor construction in some areas has been suspended, some industrial plants have been shut down or on reduced production and cars are being allowed into the city on alternating days, determined by their license plate number.

The official Chinese news service, Xinhua News, has published photos taken showing the blackened sky in Beijing. There is no time stamp on the photos, but some show shoppers walking with groceries as well as cyclists so I assume the black sky is due to the massive pollution.

China is the world’s heaviest polluter, partly because of its heavy dependence on coal. The manufacture of cement also contributes particulate matter as well as copious amounts of carbon dioxide to the air. Other areas in the northeast are suffering with poor air quality as well. Harbin, the capital of Heilonjiang Province is enclosed in smog.

A traveller’s account of landing in Beijing and proceeding to the airport terminal illustrates the pervasive nature of the Chinese smog.

It can be so intense that inside visibility is reduced to a few dozen meters. It is a sensation unlike any other, which gives a traveler the sense of impending suffocation or drowning. Forex TV

At the climate conference in Paris, the Chinese delegates have vowed to start reducing their carbon footprint by 2030. In the meantime massive amounts of particulate matter and noxious gases are entering the shared atmosphere.

Sources:
BBC News
Xinhua News
Forex TV

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Killer smog envelops Beijing

2/12/2015

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The new normal?

China’s capital city has 22.5 million people breathing deadly air. The smog is so thick and toxic that estimates of 20 minutes of life lost for every hour of exposure have been made. While Beijing and other Chinese cities have ongoing difficulties with air pollution, this week’s air quality may be the worst yet. At times the monitors recorded pollution levels 25 times above what WHO considers dangerous.

The government has issued an orange alert. They advised people to stay indoors and mandated that school children remain inside during the day. Staying indoors gives the illusion of safety, but the most dangerous particles, those 2.5 microns and smaller, can sift into homes and apartments.

People on the streets are generally sporting face masks, but not all can afford them. Some question the efficacy of the face masks anyway.

Visibility has been so affected that some roads have had to be closed.

China has some tough laws regarding pollution. Enforcement is lax.

An approaching cold front is expected to relieve some of the pollution. Much of it is from coal fired heating plants which ramp up in northern China every winter. Coal mining and coal dependent electrical production contribute to the problem. Factories that poorly control emissions also contribute.

This air quality crisis is happening at the same time that Chinese President is attending the climate conference in Paris. While individual countries like Canada have very high greenhouse gas emissions per person, the low population adds up to a much smaller amount than some countries with billions of people. While China’s per capita emissions may be low, they are the most polluting country in the world.

The Xinhua News Agency is reporting to the Chinese people on the Paris conference about the progress they have been making in curbing the toxic emissions.

As the world's biggest developing country, China has not only made remarkable achievements in managing environmental problems, saving energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing green and low carbon technologies, but has also contributed to the progress of international negotiations in reaching a new global climate agreement - Xinhua News Agency

President Xi Jinping has offered his opinion that the developed countries have had their turn in polluting and must allow others to also develop. He has pledged that his country’s emissions will start to decline around 2030.

The climate question is one that affects the whole planet. If the rate of warming is not slowed and kept below a two degree Celsius increase, many areas will become inundated by oceans and other areas will become unlivable. Climate changes are already affecting many parts of the globe already. We can hope that the approximately 25 000 people who have converged on Paris can come up with some concrete and doable actions. There have already been 20 climate conferences and little to show for it.

Sources:
BBC
USA Today
Xinhua News Agency

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Hong Kong debates 2017 elections

18/6/2015

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2014 protest camp in HK

Hong Kong politics is heating up as the legislature debates whether to change the selection process for a new chief executive. Currently the chief executive is elected by the 1200 person nominating committee. A simple majority is enough to elect. It has been proposed that the people of HK take part in the election of a new chief executive.

The sand in the gas tank is Beijing’s participation. The PRC government has proposed that while the nominating committee choose candidates for top spot, a maximum of three people are to be nominated. In addition, Beijing has stated that they will decide if any candidates are suitable. Those not suitable will not be allowed to run. The populace will then be allowed to vote for one of the approved candidates.

This does not sit well with many of the people of HK who were promised free elections by 2017 when Britain agreed to turn its former colony back to China under the one country two systems promised.

Last year protests about Beijing’s interference sparked the Umbrella Revolution which saw protesters all but shut down the business in HK. Currently, protesters have gathered outside the legislative buildings. Supporters of the Beijing backed proposal also gathered outside the buildings.

The government in Beijing has stated through its media outlets that the coming elections are about maintaining stability and prosperity.

Looking around the world, some countries’ and regions’ universal suffrage systems are not in line with the actual situation on the ground, causing social chaos, economic hardship and difficulties too numerous to mention,” the paper said. HK Daily Times

While most of the elected assembly is pro-Beijing in this instance, there are enough against the proposition to veto the change if they decide to vote as a block.

If the proposal is passed by the assembly, there are 5 million people in HK who are eligible to vote.

Latest - Hong Kong Legislature Rejects Beijing-Backed Election Plan

Sources:
New York Times
Daily Times
Xinhua News

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Beijing under red alert

Killer smog envelops Beijing

Hong Kong debates 2017 elections

Barbara McPherson

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