Comments on: Off to China

By: Barry Brook

Barry Brook — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:32:07 +0000

Back now, will post an update to the blog shortly.

By: David B. Benson

David B. Benson — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:51:23 +0000

Barry Brook (8) — Thanks for the comment.

The white mist-like pall thins considerably by the time it has crossed the Pacific, but I believe this is the other strange aspect to the sky for the last six months and more.

By: Barry Brook

Barry Brook — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:07:16 +0000

Update: The two east coast cities I’ve visited so far, Guangzhou and Xiamen, are incredibly hazy. It’s a white mist-like pall that hangs over the cities all day and night, something collecting in a thick mass and otherwise dissipating slightly. But it is never gone. They same most young Chinese city dwellers have never seen the stars…

Tonight I flew to Lanzhou, in Gansu provice in China’s west. There is a lot of heavy industry located here. As I flew over the mountains, there was an incredible sight – in all the valleys and plains, there was an impenetrable blanket of brown clouds (not white here) – almost like a sea of mud with the mountain peaks as islands penetrating this aerosol ocean. Tomorrow I see what Lanzhou looks like in the daylight.

The only time I’ve seen blue sky whilst in China is when at 10km in the plane. It’s a real eye-opener.

By: David B. Benson

David B. Benson — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:40:23 +0000

Mark Duffett (4) — Thanks for the link. I’ve factored in that eruption and the summer wildfires and the fall harvest activities, etc.

I’ve seen a paper showing the the Asian ‘brown fug’ is blown north and then lifted aloft to spread across North America. At one new coal burner per day, I’m fairly convinced that it has indeed increased that much in two years.

Garath (3) — Thanks for the interesting info.

By: Barry Brook

Barry Brook — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:02:47 +0000

[writing from Guangzhou, population 12 million]
Took a while to work out how to punch through the Great Firewall of China (makes ‘difficult’ access to all WordPress blogs). Will post an update tomorrow from Xiamen.

Atmospheric brown clouds is the term used by Ramananthan, aka “Mr Aerosols”. More on that soon.

By: Mark Duffett

Mark Duffett — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:33:45 +0000

Sorry, of course David was @1.

By: Mark Duffett

Mark Duffett — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:32:40 +0000

David Benson @3, your recent yellow sunsets wouldn't have more to do with Alaskan volcanoes than Chinese emissions, would they? I find it hard to believe the latter have increased that much in two years.

By: Gareth

Gareth — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:36:03 +0000

When I visited Yunnan last year, I was struck by two things: the sheer number of solar hot water heaters (there seem to be as many solar hw shops as bike shops), and by electric mopeds – almost literally in the case of the latter. They’re totally silent, and everywhere…

By: gjrussell

gjrussell — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 04:10:57 +0000

Don’t worry about the Chinese and energy, this is a country 25%
bigger than Australia with 4 billion chickens and

Buffaloes 22,722,010
Cattle 116,861,393
Goats 197,268,583
Pigs 501,582,621
Sheep 171,961,203

Oh, I almost forgot … they have quite a few people also :)

By: David B. Benson

David B. Benson — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:54:05 +0000

That brown fug (not cloud, plase) seems to be making its way across the Pacific. Looking at the sunsets from here in eastern Washington State I see a yellow cast to the low sky.

Unnoticable two years and more ago.