In Pictures: On eve of climate talks, Beijing faces worst-ever pollution levels
- Text by Adam White
Beijing residents, particularly its young and elderly, have been told to stay indoors to avoid dangerous levels of smog.
The warnings, from China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, come ironically a week before UN member states are due to meet in Paris to discuss environmental issues as part of COP21, a global conference aimed at encourage countries to reduce carbon emissions and limit the effects of climate change.
China has been notoriously bad at committing to any targets, yet China is the most polluting country in the world. A 2014 environmental study conducted by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences determining Beijing is “almost uninhabitable for human beings”, while it’s not unusual when venturing through the city to glimpse large dome-like structures enveloping some of its fanciest private schools – a means to protect China’s young elite from the harmful side effects of nearly unavoidable pollution.
On November 30, 2015 the country’s air-quality index, which deems any reading of more than 300 as ‘hazardous,’ hit a 568, a number that is off the scale of the country’s ranking system. The news will more than likely be a key point of discussion in Paris this week, with more than 190 nations coming together to discuss new action to tackle climate change.
Beijing residents have been chronicling the onslaught of smog through social media, capturing familiar metropolitan sights buried under a blanket of hazy smoke. No filter required.
via @mirrrmiracle
via @cssnakew
via @bzland
via @marmarmarker
via @pianobai
via @echoes_cn
via @sayuri3110
via @chester_117
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
Inside Parkuir: the art project queering sport, space and our bodies
Lie and play — Founded by Maria Laudes and Guiu Gimeno, it provides a framework for engaging, subverting, and celebrating the small details that make people unique – and queer.
Written by: Molly Lipson
The real life mermaids of Florida’s Weeki Wachee Springs
Old Florida — A relic of pre-Disney tourism in the state, the show – which sees women perform athletic underwater tricks in a natural spring – has been running since 1947. Jack Burke attends, while reflecting on the fragility and fantasy of old America.
Written by: Jack Burke
Exploring Bucovina, the last wild place in Europe
Noroc! — 70% of Romania’s northern provinces are covered in ancient woodland, with its people cultivating a close relationship with the land that stretches back millennia. Jack Burke forages, eats and drinks his way around the region.
Written by: Jack Burke
War & Pieces: The race to become the world’s fastest jigsaw puzzler
The Obsessives — The UK Jigsaw Puzzle Championships see contestants turn a cosy pastime into a high stakes battleground, as they race to complete 500-piece puzzles in as little time as possible. It’s as much a feat of athleticism as cognitive quickness, reports Ginnia Cheng.
Written by: Ginnia Cheng
Inside Bombay Beach, California’s ‘Rotting Riviera’
Man-made decay — The Salton Sea was created by accident after a failed attempt to divert the Colorado River in the early 20th century. Jack Burke reports from its post-apocalyptic shores, where DIY art and ecological collapse meet.
Written by: Jack Burke
As salmon farming booms, Icelanders size up an existential threat
Seyðisfjörður — The industry has seen huge growth in recent years, with millions of fish being farmed in the Atlantic Ocean. But who benefits from its commercial success, and what does it mean for the ocean? Phil Young ventures to the remote country to find out.
Written by: Phil Young
