Beijing’s record-breaking sandstorm leads to orange air and low air quality

Sand and dust from the Gobi Desert and parts of northwest China have thrown a large part of the Chinese capital Beijing into yellow fog, lowering air quality to dangerous levels, canceling hundreds of flights, and the morning route for millions commuters complicate. according to what officials say is the worst sandstorm in a decade.

Much of the sand flew after a weekend sandstorm in Mongolia that left six dead and more than 80 reported missing. On Monday morning, the Chinese National Meteorological Center issued a yellow warning for 12 provinces and cities, urging residents to close windows and stay indoors if possible. As many commuters go to work, Beijing’s air quality is rated at the “dangerous” 999 level – emergencies according to the air quality index. Up to 100 is considered acceptable.

Beijing is regularly plagued by some of the worst smog in the world, mainly due to the burning of coal, although the country has seen an improvement in its air quality in recent years as coal consumption has fallen and stricter emission standards have been introduced. place.

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But Monday’s sandstorm once again exposed Beijing residents to near-inhaled air. Air quality has dropped to dangerous levels as small particles of air pollution hit 655 micrograms per cubic meter of air – according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization, anything above 25 is unsafe. If inhaled into the lungs, the particles can spread through the bloodstream to other organs, increasing the risk of cardiovascular or respiratory problems.

The sandstorm caused transportation problems on land as visibility dropped to just over half a mile, leading to major traffic jams and forcing some drivers to drive with their lights on. The low visibility also caused headaches for those hoping to travel by air, such as the The Chinese state-run Global Times reported that 400 flights had been canceled at two different airports in Beijing.

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Some Twitter users have drawn parallels between the scene in Beijing and the orange sky that surrounded much of the San Francisco Bay Area this past fall due to smoke from an unprecedented wildfire season.

Although sandstorms are common in Beijing at this time of year, the city is close to the Gobi Desert, which stretches from northern China to southern Mongolia., widespread deforestation and soil erosion exacerbated the problem.

In response, China began construction in 1978 on the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest, also known as the Great Green Wall: a 3,000-mile stretch of 88 billion trees to be planted by thousands of volunteers over 50 years to cover the North. To protect China from the invading Gobi. Desert.

On March 14, Reuters reported that the Chinese Ministry of Environment expects the sandstorms to clear up by Wednesday or Thursday and move south to the Yangtze River Delta. But in the meantime, Monday’s sandstorms are the latest setback in the region plaguing China, as the country’s plan to become carbon neutral by 2060 and join the world’s most important economies has been criticized for its slow pace.

For some activists, the link between China’s current environmental problem and the need to change faster to curb global warming is clearer than the air around Beijing.

On March 14, Li Shuo, Greenpeace East Asia Policy Adviser in Beijing, tweeted, “Beijing is what an ecological crisis looks like.” Noting the rapid decline in air quality, Li added: “It’s hard to say we’re moving forward if you can not foresee.