In China's capital, they're calling it the "airpocalypse"

[FriendlyFire]

I had one engineering idea for how they could get some of the smog to clear. They could setup large fans in strategically placed locations to create an artifical wind tunnel to push the smog out of the city. It would still be a problem but maybe no so toxic on such a large number of people. I don't know how feasible it is. They would have a huge fans for it to work and powering them would add to the pollution problem.

Dosnt the wind blow thousands of tons of Chinese pollution across the pacific and onto America anyways ?
EDIT: I think more tax cuts and less regulation of coal industry is the solution, wot ?

 

[Patroklos]

I had one engineering idea for how they could get some of the smog to clear. They could setup large fans in strategically placed locations to create an artifical wind tunnel to push the smog out of the city. It would still be a problem but maybe no so toxic on such a large number of people. I don't know how feasible it is. They would have a huge fans for it to work and powering them would add to the pollution problem.

Powered by coal...

 

[Murky]

That's not very feasible. However, if they simply stop putting all that pollution into the air, the air will clear out pretty quickly. The political elites simply have to realize that investing in environmental protection measures won't slow down the economy any more than the 5% hit to GDP growth they face yearly due to pollution and could in fact help the economy grow.

Pollution mitigation/green tech is a developing field, the kind of field where China isn't that far behind and could easily catch up with, surpass and then export tech to the West.

It's their choice to make and if they aren't fast then the people may rise up and make the choice for them.

Dosnt the wind blow thousands of tons of Chinese pollution across the pacific and onto America anyways ?
EDIT: I think more tax cuts and less regulation of coal industry is the solution, wot ?

Powered by coal...

Of course, I wouldn't use it as a long term solution. It would only be an emergency measure for a difficult situation. Long term, they need to phase-out coal burning plants for something else.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Of course, I wouldn't use it as a long term solution. It would only be an emergency measure for a difficult situation. Long term, they need to phase-out coal burning plants for something else.

It's not practical short term either, I'm afraid.

Are they going to open up more coal plants to power the enormous fans? That'd be the fastest, cheapest way to do it. I can't emphasize enough how big and power-hungry such fans would have to be to work and you'd get all kinds of unintended side effects. You'd be screwing with the weather and the wildlife in a big, unpredictable way.

Dosnt the wind blow thousands of tons of Chinese pollution across the pacific and onto America anyways ?
EDIT: I think more tax cuts and less regulation of coal industry is the solution, wot ?

Yes, we get their polution and sand from the Gobi as well. Excellent point.

 

[lovett]

Even with only one child, there are still a hell of a lot of people there!

I know they're all about tradition, and I've taken a lot of flack for my own decision to go against what is "normal" for women (to have children). But I decided not to have kids (and so my now-nonexistent kids won't have kids, and so on. Everybody say, "Thank you, Valka, for doing your part to save the planet.").

You think they are morally obligated not to have any children?

In fact 'they' is a very alienating plural. After all, moral obligations attach to agents. You think that there are specific Chinese adults who are morally obligated not to have children? Each Chinese adult, for instance?

 

[Murky]

It's not practical short term either, I'm afraid.

Are they going to open up more coal plants to power the enormous fans? That'd be the fastest, cheapest way to do it. I can't emphasize enough how big and power-hungry such fans would have to be to work and you'd get all kinds of unintended side effects. You'd be screwing with the weather and the wildlife in a big, unpredictable way.



Yes, we get their polution and sand from the Gobi as well. Excellent point.

I don't see another way to deal with the immediate problem. They can't just shut-down the coal plants because people wouldn't be able to heat their homes. Hindsight is 20/20. They should never have built up that many coal fired power plants. They shouldn't have done such a rapid industrialization that would demand that much power, especially not in a city that is prone to smog. None of that matters right now to the people living there. They just need to be able to breath.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

And if they don't just shut down the coal plants, people will continue dying and getting sick due to the pollution and will become more likely to protest and revolt. Today on the news they interviewed a doctor who said that the number of heart attacks had doubled in the last week.

Plus, you have to keep in mind that much of the pollution isn't from powering homes, it's from powering badly run, extremely inefficient heavy industry located outside the city. They could shut those factories down, no problem, and temporarily compensate the out-of-work laborers with the fat currency reserves China is sitting on while they sort things out.

 

[Joecoolyo]

I don't see another way to deal with the immediate problem.

Gas masks? Fresh air stations?

 

[King Kalmah]

Gas masks? Fresh air stations?

I'd hand out oxygen machines with masks to all citizens over 40....

and face masks for anyone under 40...

Also keep citizens indoors during peak pollution/smog hours,,,tell people to leave their work at certain hours.Close certain industries at certain times(so less heavy machinery is working/on the road)

it would be intense micro management on the part of the Chinese Government...for some reason I just got a craving to play Sim City 4....

SC2013 will be so bad,,,

 

[Archbob]

That's not very feasible. However, if they simply stop putting all that pollution into the air, the air will clear out pretty quickly. The political elites simply have to realize that investing in environmental protection measures won't slow down the economy any more than the 5% hit to GDP growth they face yearly due to pollution and could in fact help the economy grow.

Pollution mitigation/green tech is a developing field, the kind of field where China isn't that far behind and could easily catch up with, surpass and then export tech to the West.

It's their choice to make and if they aren't fast then the people may rise up and make the choice for them.

Either that or the political elites in Beijing will die because of the smog.

Anyways, just make a giant plastic bag and bag all the pollution and then shoot it into space.

 

[Phrossack]

The stench of burning coal and the thick coatings of soot are signs of progress. The industrialization creates jobs and money. Heart attacks, cancer, and general ill health is bad, but no pain, no gain. China must continue to industrialize in this polluting yet cheap manner until mankind at last kills its weak and pathetic host planet and bravely goes forth to infect another! The spirit of unregulated, unfettered capitalism shall prevail!

 

[squadbroken]

Nothing like a China thread to bring out people's inner vileness

 

[Crezth]

Nothing like a China thread to bring out people's inner vileness

Just so long as we remember that it is those damn yellows who need to stop procreating. for their own good, that is.

 

[cardgame]

Just so long as we remember that it is those damn yellows who need to stop procreating. for their own good, that is.

Western civilization population growth is projected to halt and begin a slide down, so I don't see the hypocrisy if that is what you're trying to say.

 

[Disgustipated]

Even with only one child, there are still a hell of a lot of people there!

I know they're all about tradition, and I've taken a lot of flack for my own decision to go against what is "normal" for women (to have children). But I decided not to have kids (and so my now-nonexistent kids won't have kids, and so on. Everybody say, "Thank you, Valka, for doing your part to save the planet.").

You are making the planet worse. Intelligent people not reproducing is the worst thing you can do for the planet. Soon, unintelligent people will completely overwhelm the planet with their large numbers, and there won't be enough intelligent people to come up with solutions.

Not that I have room to talk, I have no intention of having kids. But a lot of that is not by choice, but my lack of options in the matter. And I'm not intelligent either, so I shouldn't be having kids.

 

[Grisu]

Western civilization population growth is projected to halt and begin a slide down, so I don't see the hypocrisy if that is what you're trying to say.

China's fertility rate is already lower than that of many western nations, including the US. So telling them to have less kids does sound a bit hypocritical, if you ask me.

 

[Hygro]

If it's the cars that are the most immediate problem, then stop driving. Take mass transit (they must have some; I see them using it on The Amazing Race). Or ride bicycles.

Ideally, clean up their nonexistent environmental regulations. Oh, and stop having so many damn kids would help, too.

This country needs an attitude change and education that this is one whole planet, and they're one of the major offenders right now. They poison their own children - and ours, when they put that crap in exports. And don't get me started about the poisoned pet food. For that alone I cannot respect China, and don't feel sorry one iota for the miseries they inflict on themselves.

Cuz, you know, America and Canada aren't knocking more emissions per capita than China... And how they invade other countries and set the rules for trade. Yup.

I'm with Czerth and squadbroken: China gets crazy amounts of irrational hate. Ever been to the San Fernando valley? Imagine sticking in Chinese level population density there, even with our cleaner emissions per energy used standards. It'd make China seem like a breath of fresh air.

This story reminds me of the coal death clouds of London a couple of centuries ago, back when they burned coal in open cooking fires, rather than wood or using stoves.

 

[Borachio]

60 years ago, they introduced smokeless coal in London.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2012/dec/05/60-years-great-smog-london-in-pictures

Now, central London is classified as a "low emission zone". Which means, naturally, that it is highly polluted, in doubletalk.

I had one engineering idea for how they could get some of the smog to clear. They could setup large fans in strategically placed locations to create an artifical wind tunnel to push the smog out of the city. It would still be a problem but maybe no so toxic on such a large number of people. I don't know how feasible it is. They would have a huge fans for it to work and powering them would add to the pollution problem.

Of course! And they could generate power for the huge fans by having wind turbines downstream. It's a win-win.

 

[Crezth]

Western civilization population growth is projected to halt and begin a slide down, so I don't see the hypocrisy if that is what you're trying to say.

It's not hypocrisy per se, just racism.

 

[cardgame]

Well I don't have an argument to counter that.