To suggest that the vast amounts of Beijing pollution comes primarily from private passenger vehicles is ludicrous. New cars don't cause the particle pollution you see in this city. Unregulated diesel buses and trucks do. Coal burning does. Piles of dust and dirt, combined with toxic chemicals sitting in vacant unmaintained lots do. Sure we need to improve the traffic, but the damage to people's health is being caused by the heavy particle matter. Whenever I ride my bike, I am choked by heavy vehicles and buses spewing think dark acrid smoke. The is no subtle effect about it.
I agree with Squid - unless the government can do something to rein in emissions coming from all of the factories belching out pollution in the neighboring provinces that ring Beijing, I don't see the air getting substantially cleaner any time soon.
Here is the video Des just linked to, with more jokes on his unfortunate Chinese name choice and beatboxing. This is super impressive considering he's been studying Chinese for less than a year.
Government obviously never learned its lesson from its experience with motorcycles. After restricting legal A plate registrations, what happened? People simply bought illegal bikes and began using fake plates, or used bikes with plates from other provinces.
I once saw a TMB estimate that 1 in 8 cars in Beijing runs with improper plates. Fake car plates are readily available (watch The Beijinger classifieds for upcoming fake-plate ads, as commonly happens with fake motorcycle plates).
Strict enforcement and/or congestion charging has been shown to work elsewhere, but somehow Beijing knows better. Sad. In my opinion, Beijing still isn't serious about the problem.
Meanwhile, the Beijing News had this astounding statistic showing the growth in the number of automobiles in Beijing, going from 1.1 million in 1997 to 5.4 million this year (and the year ain't over)... that's an average annual growth rate of 10% a year. If that rate continues over the next 7 years, there will be 10.5 million cars in Beijing by 2020...
To suggest that the vast amounts of Beijing pollution comes primarily from private passenger vehicles is ludicrous. New cars don't cause the particle pollution you see in this city. Unregulated diesel buses and trucks do. Coal burning does. Piles of dust and dirt, combined with toxic chemicals sitting in vacant unmaintained lots do.
Sure we need to improve the traffic, but the damage to people's health is being caused by the heavy particle matter. Whenever I ride my bike, I am choked by heavy vehicles and buses spewing think dark acrid smoke. The is no subtle effect about it.
And can we just state the obvious reason why this will NOT happen?
Until China gets the pollution under control, there's no way the Olympic Organizing Committee will even consider hosting a winter Olympics here. It's easy to get rid of the pollution in the summer, by shutting off factories, but how are you going to shut down coal burning heating in the winter to stop the pollution? Will everyone have to freeze for the time of the games so there's blue skies? When China can get control of pollution in winter, then they can try again, but for now, they need to focus on the problem at hand.
Every single time Beijing "whatever" organization organizes something, it's a nightmare.
Don't you remember David Guetta's concert in the Great Wall this summer??. It took me 3 hours to catch a bus to go to the Wall because we where hundreds of people waiting in the waiting point, and maybe 4 buses arriving every 30 minutes.
Beijing has organized the Olympic Games, but I think they have forgotten how to deal with big events with laowais. That's why I didn't go to this Halloween Party.
Please Beijing, we like you and we wanna have fun. Don't let us down again and again!
Hmm...well the McNuggets probably gave him an edge. From all the gas and diarrhea shooting out from eating at McD's, it gave him an extra boost of speed over the other runners.
Re: Modern Sky Festival Lineup Confirmed
Got my Cat Power tickets via the en.damai.cn site! Thank you!
Re: Modern Sky Festival Lineup Confirmed
Tickets of Modern Sky Festival can also be found at official agency Damai.We have Engish website.
Re: Are Cat Power, Tegan and Sara and The Cardigans Set to...
official agent of this tournament is DAMAI. Find more info :
Cat Power:Modern Sky Festival 2013
2013.12.08
http://en.damai.cn/event/tickets_58570/
The Cardigans:Modern Sky Festival 2013
2013.12.01
http://en.damai.cn/event/tickets_58568/
Re: You're About to Stop Shivering: Indoor Heating Rolls Out...
I live in an ordinary Chinese compound and we got heat November 1st.
Re: You're About to Stop Shivering: Indoor Heating Rolls Out...
First of all the heat was switched on earlier LAST YEAR, 2012.
So you're wrong.
And any smart expat just has a 200RMB portable heater. Like they would wait.
Re: City Driving: Beijing to Cut License Plate Quota Even...
I agree with Squid - unless the government can do something to rein in emissions coming from all of the factories belching out pollution in the neighboring provinces that ring Beijing, I don't see the air getting substantially cleaner any time soon.
Re: Ni Hao, I'm Funny: Des Bishop is Making Comedy in Beijing
Here is the video Des just linked to, with more jokes on his unfortunate Chinese name choice and beatboxing. This is super impressive considering he's been studying Chinese for less than a year.
Re: Ni Hao, I'm Funny: Des Bishop is Making Comedy in Beijing
Des here. Here is an early attempt at stand up in Chinese after 8 and a half months. http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjI4Nzc3MzY0.html?x
Re: City Driving: Beijing to Cut License Plate Quota Even...
Government obviously never learned its lesson from its experience with motorcycles. After restricting legal A plate registrations, what happened? People simply bought illegal bikes and began using fake plates, or used bikes with plates from other provinces.
I once saw a TMB estimate that 1 in 8 cars in Beijing runs with improper plates. Fake car plates are readily available (watch The Beijinger classifieds for upcoming fake-plate ads, as commonly happens with fake motorcycle plates).
Strict enforcement and/or congestion charging has been shown to work elsewhere, but somehow Beijing knows better. Sad. In my opinion, Beijing still isn't serious about the problem.
Re: City Driving: Beijing to Cut License Plate Quota Even...
Meanwhile, the Beijing News had this astounding statistic showing the growth in the number of automobiles in Beijing, going from 1.1 million in 1997 to 5.4 million this year (and the year ain't over)... that's an average annual growth rate of 10% a year. If that rate continues over the next 7 years, there will be 10.5 million cars in Beijing by 2020...
Re: City Driving: Beijing to Cut License Plate Quota Even...
To suggest that the vast amounts of Beijing pollution comes primarily from private passenger vehicles is ludicrous. New cars don't cause the particle pollution you see in this city. Unregulated diesel buses and trucks do. Coal burning does. Piles of dust and dirt, combined with toxic chemicals sitting in vacant unmaintained lots do.
Sure we need to improve the traffic, but the damage to people's health is being caused by the heavy particle matter. Whenever I ride my bike, I am choked by heavy vehicles and buses spewing think dark acrid smoke. The is no subtle effect about it.
Re: Here We Go Again: Beijing Bids for 2022 Winter Olympic Games
And can we just state the obvious reason why this will NOT happen?
Until China gets the pollution under control, there's no way the Olympic Organizing Committee will even consider hosting a winter Olympics here. It's easy to get rid of the pollution in the summer, by shutting off factories, but how are you going to shut down coal burning heating in the winter to stop the pollution? Will everyone have to freeze for the time of the games so there's blue skies? When China can get control of pollution in winter, then they can try again, but for now, they need to focus on the problem at hand.
And I second all the reasons admin listed above.
Re: Here We Go Again: Beijing Bids for 2022 Winter Olympic Games
Let me count the reasons I would not welcome this:
a. another reason to hike the cost of living into the stratosphere
b. Beijing doesn't have the weather (precipitation) for it
c. Beijing doesn't have the water resources for it
d. More development of facilities that can then fall into disuse
e. Non stop single-minded hype about the Olympics for another 9 years
Re: Here We Go Again: Beijing Bids for 2022 Winter Olympic Games
Good eye, Jonathan, thank you. I have corrected the error.
Re: Here We Go Again: Beijing Bids for 2022 Winter Olympic Games
2022 - 2013 = 9 Years
Re: Here We Go Again: Beijing Bids for 2022 Winter Olympic Games
Why are people down on this? This will be a good thing, no?
Re: Here We Go Again: Beijing Bids for 2022 Winter Olympic Games
oh please no
Re: New Halloween World Record: Most Complaints
Every single time Beijing "whatever" organization organizes something, it's a nightmare.
Don't you remember David Guetta's concert in the Great Wall this summer??. It took me 3 hours to catch a bus to go to the Wall because we where hundreds of people waiting in the waiting point, and maybe 4 buses arriving every 30 minutes.
Beijing has organized the Olympic Games, but I think they have forgotten how to deal with big events with laowais. That's why I didn't go to this Halloween Party.
Please Beijing, we like you and we wanna have fun. Don't let us down again and again!
Re: Capital Bites: Biscuits and Gravy, Nachos, and Buy-One...
The Great Leap brunch menu was indeed tasty, and I hope they will offer an option of just a giant plate of pork belly.
Re: Usain Bolt Set a World Record in Beijing, Fueled by...
Hmm...well the McNuggets probably gave him an edge. From all the gas and diarrhea shooting out from eating at McD's, it gave him an extra boost of speed over the other runners.