Air Quality in Beijing

China

Day 4 - Air Quality

I took a late-night flight back from Dalian to Beijing, landing in the smog sometime before midnight. The forecast for today was for bright sunshine and a high of 37°C, so I was curious as to how Beijing would look. In short, visibility today has been great.

Practically clear!

Compared to when I arrived, the visibility today is fantastic. The scorching-hot sun casts strong shadows, and people gather under the trees and bridges for shelter. So, conditions are favourable. The weather looks good. We don't have visual evidence of heavy pollution though there are still many old cars, and many factories surrounding Beijing.

A plane landing in Beijing

The visual side of the pollution story is not the only concern for cities. High levels of NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOC) combined with the strong shortwave (UV) sunlight, create ozone. The ozone layer protects us from harmful UV-B rays from the Sun, but that's at high altitudes. Down in the city-streets, ozone does little by the way of protection. Instead, ozone causes severe respiratory problems. Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion. It can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. “Bad” ozone also can reduce lung function and inflame the linings of the lungs. Repeated exposure may permanently scar lung tissue. 

I can't put any measurement data onto the blog, as it needs to go through the proper quality assurance and scientific channels first. I can say that O3 levels in Beijing are extremely high.  If Tokyo is around 50ppb (and wants to reduce it), Beijing is at around 100ppb. For comparison, the remote jungle in Borneo is about 5ppb.

What can be done?

Good question. It all really comes down to policy.  Beijing has shown before, with the Olymipics, that it can reduce its pollution. However, making a long-term commitment to such policies is much harder. Personally, I hope that one day soon Beijing is able to  make the headlines for more than its record-breaking pollution. It's a fantastic place full of lively and fun people. I recommend a visit - just perhaps not in winter.

Dalian

China

Day 3 - Dàlián

Chairman Mao at Dagong

I was up at 5am in order to get an early flight from Beijing to Dalian. Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, in Northeast China. It is surrounded by the waters of the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. This huge statue of Chairman Mao is outside of Dalian University of Technology, Dagong.

Encircled

The campus was like any other. Lots of students having a good time, hustle-bustle, and some interesting architecture. Dalian is considerably less hazy than Beijing, but it's still hazy.

DUT Library

Many universities in China sport a statue of Chairman Mao, and many of the buildings share the same architectural mantra.

Abandoned Waterpark

After work was finished, we headed to the beach. There aren't many beaches close to Chinese cities, and my co-worker said this is the third one he's been to. He said that he was surprised how clear the water was (it was clear) and that this is probably the most beautiful beach he's visited in his life. I recommended a trip to Thailand if he could make it one day.

Flying kites and airing linen

There was plenty of action down by the seaside. Some dude with a whip, ladies dancing, bungee jumps & zip lines!

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I've not shown many photographs of food, but that's mostly down to being absolutely ravenous by the time I sit down. The camera remains in my bag as I tuck in, and then I remember I've not taken any pictures of food! 

Amazing seafood

Well, here you go. Some amazing seafood from this coastal region. There was no menu in this restaurant; we went into a back room and chose what we'd like to eat from tanks and exquisitely set-out plates. It was nothing short of delicious.

Make haze while the sun shines

China

Day 1 - Beijing

Visibility is just a few hundred metres

I've safely made it to my hotel in Beijing. I've never been to mainland China before (save for a transfer in Shanghai).After passing through immigration, I headed to the taxi rank. The taxi driver was an utter loon. He appeared to be driving a manual gearbox, but sans clutch (or at least he didn't care about a clutch). If you've ever watched touring cars, you'll have some idea of the ride. Quite brilliantly, around 50 near-misses were skilfully kept as near-misses, with the kind of precision you'd only expect from Schumacher. The guy could have been a world champion, but he's just a crazy taxi driver in Beijing. His photo ID was a little perplexing, as it pictured a man with a full head of hair and no wrinkles. However, the chap next to me had almost no hair and skin like a prune. Hmmm.

Crazy Taxi

I am rather quickly finding out what parts of the internet I am permitted to see. No facebook, no twitter, sparse Google pages, half of the video feeds don't work. As a temporary resident in Beijing, I am also not permitted to see the sky. In every direction, the haze is very, very obvious. I've never experienced anything like it first hand. Unfortunately, it means I will have to limit my time outdoors. As a climate scientist specialising in the study of small particulate matter (the exact type which create this haze), I know all too well of the detrimental effects to human health.

If you squint, you might make out planes on the runway...

It's quite impressive that planes land safely in this smog. It was rather an odd feeling; knowing you're coming in to landing, but only seeing the ground around 5 seconds before the wheels bump down. 

Nothing like a good coffee

I checked in and was told that my room was still being prepared, so I ordered a coffee and got to some work in the lobby. Nothing beats a good coffee, and I always feel tired after travelling long distances. 

How much would a room this size cost in Tokyo?

The hotel is rather grand, and so is the room. I've never had such a spacious room in Tokyo. If they exist, they're well out of my budget! The water pressure is feeble, but apart from that, I can't complain. Unlike any bed in Japan, it looks like I'll fit in this one.

The view from the hotel window drops off rapidly

All being well, I plan on updating the blog each day with a few photos from China. I've got plugins to automatically post to twitter and facebook - I won't have access to those until I am outside of The Great Firewall this weekend. Stay tuned!