Thanks Michel for sending me the following link:
http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/27/blue-skies-over-beijing-china-business-in-the-red/
The reporter feels the air is so much better since the Olympics. Pity for him, the link is…. blocked in China!
While it may true up to a certain extent, the pollution remains BAD. As I explain in this blog, the Twitter figures reveal the real health hazard. When Twitter shows an average of AQI 180 (with higher peaks), such as today, Beijing happily reports API of 60 to 80 (=blue sky days). See the Pages on the right hand side.
I posted the following comment yesterday:
“John Vause should put on his glasses. We did have some good days but overall the air quality has been pretty bad, just like today. Twitter US Embassy correctly reported today AQI over 200. The Beijing official figures become a joke. Check my blog (blog.strategy4china.com) for monthly overview and comments.”
The article generated many comments, some reasonable, other from naïve foreigners or Chinese who think we just want to see bad things here. Pity them, or maybe not. They can enjoy the “blue sky” and pump the PM2.5 in their lungs.
Not that much to do with economy, the main culprit is still traffic. And the non-existent cops, the locals who drive like morons, never observe any rule. Civility is unknown. We need some Singapore police here to clean up the mess and educate people. By imposing heavy fines, confiscating cars, bikes etc. and locking violators up as they do with “political trouble makers”.
Obviously some of the young empty-headed generation love the chaos and don’t understand why we talk about that. Too bad, it’s their future.