Independent sensor readings and photographs taken in Beijing both tell the same story: the Chinese governments olympian efforts to clean up the city’s air aren’t working.

China’s most recent attempt to control Mother Nature (read: Three Gorges Damn) has had only mixed results which makes me wonder what the leadership was thinking when they proclaimed that they would be able to control it now. Is there anything wrong with just saying we will try our best to achieve rather then guaranteeing “blue skies”. That guarantee just ramps up expectations which if not met will result in criticism. The fact of the matter is that Beijing lies in a valley surrounded on three sides by mountains. Moreover, Beijing is far away from any ocean breezes and is bordered by heavy industry zones (not to mention all the industry happening in Beijing). The air and smog in that valley generally tends to sit and hang there for a while (in Chinese the situation can best be described as men (闷) or stuffy.) Furthermore, August in Beijing is hellishly hot. That blanket of heat over the city makes the escape of smog more problematic. Which goes back to my initial query as to why Chinese officials would guarantee an outcome that they cannot be sure of. Perhaps, they know something that Mother Nature doesn’t.

Beijings Anti-Smog Efforts Failing, Independent Readings Suggest.