Another aspect to the massive plant kill-off or damage in Kunming due to the extreme cold in January is humidity. The air, in Kunming, tends to be very dry due, in part, to altitude. Plants help humidify the air and we lost a lot of them. I am starting to feel/see the dryness. Dehydration is a serious health concern.

I'm not feeling it and am not personally worried, though obviously it would be better if we had more living plants.

Symptoms and signs of dehydration can be minor, such as increased thirst, or severe and life-threatening, depending on the extent of the dehydration. Along with thirst, initial symptoms of dehydration include reduced urine output and darkening of the urine as it becomes more concentrated. If the condition progresses, other symptoms develop, including dry mouth, decreased perspiration, lightheadedness, muscle cramps, weakness, palpitations, and absent tear production by the eyes. The skin may feel cool and clammy. Confusion, organ failure, and coma leading to death eventually occur if dehydration is not corrected.

Yes, yes, all true. Is anybody in this city of several million suffering any of the serious effects you've mentioned?
During the 4-5 years of drought that we had in Kunming a few years ago, which were much more serious, especially for local agriculture, than anything that has occurred this year, I solved my dehydration problems, which were confined to dry mouth, by having another beer (and please don't lecture us on how alcohol is dehydrating), sometimes a glass of water. Of course, after the death of quite a few plants, I may die of dehydration this year, so continue to check this forum & see if I disappear or succomb. Anyway, remember to water your infants regularly, and if watery Qingdao beer doesn't fix your own symptoms, fly immediately to Hong Kong or Helsinki or Jinghong, which are at much lower altitudes...no, better yet, Dublin...avoid entering mountain areas, deserts, or cities like Karachi which, although near sea level, are really hot and really dry and where beer is more difficult to obtain, and where millions of people are adept at keeping the Ramadan Fast for a month yearly, which involves not ingesting anything between just before sunrise to just after sunset - unfortunately, for the faithful, this includes beer, but they are pretty tough folks, and most survive.

Guess the only time Alien posts aren't vaporous is when he is being a dick.

Long Dragon, Lemon lover and the Dudesons all preachers of hell fire. Total all round negativity and hypocritical do-gooders, causing more harm than good with their scaremongering. If they really believed in what they say they would be getting out there doing something about it, not pointing fingers as it seems is all they do. Mind you, by the sounds of it, they are probably too scared to venture outside. So instead of coming up with figures, jargon and data published by iffy media (and yes Lemon lover you do admit this by stating there are corrupt regimes and media with agendas), just try and be more positive. For all the bad you may see happening around you there is in fact more good. As you're in China how about starting with Yin and Yang?

@Alien and vicar. Why are you two so buggered up about dry air and dehydration?

@ AlexKMG. Read Long Dragons post and tell me whose buggered up about it.

@vicar.

You are on the wrong page.

I swear as well with the prophylactic beer treatment. No problems what so ever.