I can't. I don't know how people live here and go about their daily lives when the pollution levels are so bad, it is actually hazardous (all members of the population will experience adverse health effects) to simply breathe. I can't even workout indoors when it's like this. I feel so unhealthy here, from the air I breathe to the fact that I can't (won't) workout even indoors when it's a hazardous air quality day. According to an article I stumbled across from a few years ago (I don't know how true this is): "China's environmental agency calculates that living in Chinese cities does more damage to a person's lungs than smoking two packs of cigarettes a day."
It's been like this for the past 5 days... with no reprieve in sight. The only thing that will sweep the pollution away is either wind or rain, neither of which is in the forecast.
Earlier in the week from my window
This morning - no improvement, and actually worse
If the levels would just go down from "hazardous" to "very unhealthy" ... I'd take it. This recent wave of really terrible air quality has me in such a funk. I am TRYING to get out of it, but looking at those pics, can anyone really say "WOW I'd love to get outside today and explore!"....? ...it's not fog.
I'm homesick for something I never thought twice about when I lived in the U.S.... clean air!
Steph
i'm sorry that is so scary!
ReplyDeleteWow, I can't believe how visible the pollution is and yet they do nothing about it! We really do take clean air for granted here in the States. I hope you get some rain the forecast soon!
ReplyDeleteWow, I had no idea it was that bad! I live in an industrial town and sometimes I get cranky about the smog, but it's never been so bad that I had to fear damaging my lungs by just going outside. Here's to hoping things get better... soon.
ReplyDeleteoh wow this is insane! Never knew it was that bad! Hope it gets better very soon!!
ReplyDeleteOh my word. My friend Paula who lives there with her husband and child (AND she is pregnant) wrote on her facebook that Beijing was at the worst she has seen since living there (6 years now) AND, her aiyi said to her.... "I won't take Talia (her daughter) out today due to all the fog"....Paula didn't have the heart to tell her it wasn't fog. Wear a mask friend!
ReplyDeleteKel - When I first moved here, I was talking to our real estate agent and I asked her if the pollution gets much worse than it was that day and she said "pollution? What pollution? This is a cloudy day." I just hate that it has actually been at hazardous levels for 5 days straight. I feel like I can't even go outside. I am going stir crazy.
ReplyDeleteJCHokie - I will be fair and say I have read that major clean up efforts have been taken, but there is still a long way to go. In an effort to reduce air pollution, China has done several things: relocation and refitting of major polluting industries, conversion of coal burning boilers, cleaner fuels - solar, wind, vehicle emission standards, traffic limits, huge increase in public transport, and energy efficiency improvement.
I agree with you girl. It's so sick! I was supposed to work out today too but I didn't want to go outside to look for a taxi. Breathing this air really feels so unhealthy and gross. And it sucks to be house bound too :(
ReplyDeleteI hate it too. HK is horrible too. I worry so much about my son here, it is just terrible. Make me homesick too. Can we have a sob fest together?
ReplyDeleteAww, poor bebe! That was the biggest problem when I lived in BJ too. We refuse to visit China for that sole reason actually. Working out is SUCH a problem. Are you close to Steak and Eggs and Grandma's Kitchen? GK had the best raspberry milkshakes ... admittedly, our taste buds were slightly skewed from living there for so long ...
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking out my blog. I appreciate it!
Call Me Ishmael
Pamela... I think our taste buds are skewed, too! lol. We probably can't tell anymore if something is REALLY good or just Beijing good. We haven't been to those two restaurants but have heard of both, and I think we are pretty close.
ReplyDeleteRouxinawok - Anytime! I hope you are having a nice pretty day today!
Oh my goodness, I can't imagine what that must be like! You should wear a gas mask or something, lol! Seriously though, I'm worried for your lungs :(
ReplyDeletePolish and pearls - a friend of ours lived here for a year, and right before he was about to leave, he caught a bad cold and had to have a chest xray... when the doctor saw his lungs, he just shook his and said "Beijing, what have you done?" because the guy looked like he was a serious smoker. Sucks. I've heard that the damage is reversible, though, and after 6 months of living in clean air, your lungs will have healed themselves. I don't know how true that is!
ReplyDeleteOh dear... that looks terrible! I used to think LA air was bad, but that was until I went to Beijing... I don't think it ever reached hazardous level though! No wonder people there wear masks!
ReplyDelete