This came through our World News Desk today. Thank you Jenna Orkin and Rice Farmer.
[STR/AFP/Getty Images]
"Thick, off-the-scale smog shrouded eastern China for the second time in about two weeks Tuesday, forcing airlines to cancel flights because of poor visibility and prompting Beijing to temporarily shut factories and curtail fleets of government cars.
The U.S. Embassy reported an hourly peak level of PM2.5 — tiny particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs — at 526 micrograms per cubic meter, or “beyond index,” and more than 20 times higher than World Health Organization safety levels over a 24-hour period."
This crisis has been decades in the making and it will take decades to unmake. The image above is smog, not fog. We are all at fault; consumption drives the factories, the refineries, and the power plants that are creating this mess. Vote with your wallet. Buy less; it is the only way to make a difference.
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