Sickening Smog Strangles Major Chinese City
With particulate pollution levels well over 20 times the amount deemed safe, and visibility reduced to less than 30 feet, a choking smog brought the northeast Chinese city of Harbin to a standstill Monday.
"School was canceled, traffic was nearly paralyzed and the airport was shut down in the northeast Chinese city of Harbin on Monday as off-the-charts pollution dropped visibility to less than 10 meters in parts of the provincial capital," reports Mia Li.
"A dark, gray cloud that the local weather bureau described as 'heavy fog' has shrouded the city of 10 million since Thursday, but the smoke thickened significantly on Sunday, soon after the government turned on the coal-powered municipal heating system for the winter."
“'You can’t see your own fingers in front of you,' the city’s official news site explained helpfully."
BuzzFeed has collected stunning images of the soup.
Full Story:
Published on Monday, October 21, 2013 in
Topics
- Where Vacant Properties Are Still Increasing in Number
- Pop Quiz: Can You Match the Metro Logo to its City?
- After Meteoric Rise, Toronto Housing Prices Coming Down Fast
- Major Development Slows to a Snail's Pace in San Francisco
- Two Skyscrapers Will Finally Rise Above the Failed Location of the Chicago Spire
- Flixbus Ready for Inter-City Service in the USA
- Chicago Puts Thousands of Vacant Lots on the Market for $1
- L.A.'s Anti-Density Advocate Still Hopes to Make Planners 'Uncomfortable'
- Kaiser Permanente to Fund Housing Efforts in Eight States
- California Getting Way More New Jobs Than New Housing
- The Emerging 'Surban' Real Estate Market
- Ridership on Commuter Rail to Portland Suburbs Falling Quickly
- Environmental Impact Study Builds the Case for Accessory Dwelling Units in Seattle
- New Orleans Already Rethinking its Short-Term Rental Regulations
- Tacoma Link Extension Wins $75 Million in Federal Funding
- Express Lanes on a Toll Road?
- Mapping the Rapid Loss of America's Agricultural Land
- Atlanta Has Big Transit Plans
- Ranking the Best U.S. Cities for Parks
- Obama Presidential Center Wins Key City Council Approval
