One good thing about the appalling smog in BJ recently.
There has been smog like this in other cities for years, and nothing was done. Now it has hit the capital, there is a good chance of new environmental legislations, and better enforcement. This will filter down to practices in other cities too. All will benefit.

We can but hope.

This happened after the LA smogs of the 1970s. This movement for change on vehicle pollution filtered down to other cities and states, and even other countries.

@tigertiger, i think you are saying that compared to the US and EU the readings in China are probably worse than reported. The US embassy in Bejing often reports worse ratings than the Chinese government. Their has been much talk about the safety of chinas food, and water, but in reality those 2 things will probably kill far fewer people in china than the direct results of air pollution in the future.

The increased death rate in the old due to pollution will make it easier to fund the pension system!

@tallamerican

What I am actually saying is that the figures tell us very little.

You are correct that direct comparisons of readings would imply that China is worse than reported. If the reporting is correct 150 on the Chinese scale could be equivalent to 500 on the EPA scale. The website www.aqicn.info/?city=Chengdu does use the EPA scale, but should not be compared with official Chinese figures that have not been converted to EPA scale.

All we can really use the figures to do is compare historical figures for each site independantly. We cannot reliably compare two cities. What we could do perhaps is compare monitoring at the US consulate in Chendu with the roof ( I believe BJ monitors are on the roof) of the US Embassy in BJ, with the monitoring of the Ministry for Env Protection in Kunming.

I believe that the monitoring by the US Embassy in BJ is on the roof. I know of at least one test site in Shanghai at street level. The PRC EP monitors for other cities could be anywhere, could be a sample or an average of all test stations. We really don'e know.

There are lies, damned lies and statistics.
I am still not saying the air here is good BTW.

in beijing, the air is so obviously horrendously bad that i'm not sure why people bother with the readings.

in kunming, the fact that the sun is visible on most days is an indication that the air quality is far better than most chinese cities.

and to alleviate the ill effects of bad city air, it's good to get out of the city and into nature as often as possible (preaching to self).

Correction to my earlier post where I said

" If the reporting is correct 150 on the Chinese scale could be equivalent to 500 on the EPA scale"

This should say

... equivalent to 250 on the EPA scale'

Was chatting to Chingis last night. He told me the reading up in Urumqi was 1450, the worst he has ever seen it! Consider ourselves lucky!

You can go on and on about exact readings etc, but we know how the Chinese govt operate. They will simple put testing stations up where they know its going to suit the results they want, miss data points, manipulate data points and basically make the data completely unusable. You have to ask, that by making Kunming (the city in China known for its brilliant weather and clear air) look worse than it is, they may be making the rest of the cities look better than they are.

The only reliable measure you have is your eyes and your breathing and visiting the other places. My experience is that the difference between Kunming and most other major Chinese cities is like comparing night and day.

@:Blobbles, you're right, these statistics truly seem a bit silly. The reading and visibilty just don't match. I'd hate to be in Handan....338

I beg to differ with anyone who says the higher pm2.5 readings and clarity of air do not match. I live on the top of the hills straight north of city center and have a scenic view of the entire city of kunming. Many days when the readings are high the city is covered in a thick haze. This morning i cannot see any of kunmings taller buildings through the soupy haze. I am now sleeping with the windows closed at night so i can breath better and my eyes do not hurt so bad in the morning. I lived in Wuhan 3 years ago and its air quality was considered horrible and some days i see little difference here.