After a quite a number of years in China I don't complain much now - I know what's what.

But when I hear a whinging expat told by their Chinese companion "if you don't like it, well why don't you go home?" I immediately think to myself "if the pollution got any worse, I think I might".

Seems it might already be that bad. The Economist reports on a new pollution study.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2 ... tion-china

"World Health Organisation guidelines suggest that PM2.5 levels above ten micrograms per cubic metre are unsafe. The boffins have found (as the map shows) that almost every Chinese province has levels above that. Indeed, much of the country’s population endures air so foul that it registers above 30 on the PM2.5 scale, with Shandong and Henan provinces topping 50."

Above 10 is harmful. On my reading of the map Shanghai is in the 20-30 region. Holy crap.

I don't mind it here, but with that report I think its time to work harder so I can go...

And to think I open the taxi windows to get "fresh" air. What a laugh.

You think it's too harmful and you decide to stay here for the money and whine?
One has to make a decision to make himself happy...

GirlatWork wrote:You think it's too harmful and you decide to stay here for the money and whine?
One has to make a decision to make himself happy...

haha, we usually say: western countries好山好水好寂寞， China好脏好乱好快活。

shanghai's even worse than the reading on that map. 10 micrograms (the level considered harmful) is 0.01 milligrams. shanghai @ ~50 micrograms per cubic meter is about 10x worse than air quality in the east or west coast of the US.

http://www.eco-business.com/news/shangh ... 5-density/

'According to monitoring statistics released by SEMC, since 2005 to 2010, the average annual density of PM 2.5 was 0.044 – 0.053 milligrams per cubic meter, failing to reach the level of grade II air quality, which is 0.035 milligrams per cubic meter. The statistics also showed PM 2.5 density in Shanghai was about the same or down slightly in the last five years.'

to be fair though, pollution might have been a lot worse in the 70s in many parts of the west than it is in shanghai today. plus it's hard to say exactly how bad the pm 2.5 readings are. for example, if there were a lot of wood burning fireplaces in an area, readings could get pretty high. we don't generally heat our homes with firewood anymore but many places used to in the past. also, it's likely far less harmful than smoking, which a sizable percentage of the population still do.

keep indoors during rush time and keep your aircon filters clean. Obviously standing next to thousands of cars a day is going to be bad for you.
Another good one is to not smoke.

^ Had my aircon serviced, and the guy took a random piece of cloth, soaked it, wiped the filters, and immediately returned it to the machine.

I try to do my running in the gym but their filters haven't been clean, I can feel it. Lately, they've been turning the heat on full blast and the air is incredibly stuffy and not what I want to work out in.

got a air purifier last month, dunno if its working though.

RobinA wrote:got a air purifier last month, dunno if its working though.

Is this you?

^ haha!

haha Love the picture

@ GirlatWork. Yup, but didn't think my post was very whingey at all though - just passing on a survey. I'm guessing you didn't read the link. I envy you - ignorance truly is bliss.

I appreciate the concern for me. I'm fine here actually and I've seen the pollution improve a huge amount since my first posting to central China in 1997. And I disagree. Its not about making myself happy. Its about protecting my children, which is why I've made the decision to leave - just like more than 50% of wealthy Chinese.

When we go - can you make sure to turn out the lights please? Then China will be 好寂寞.

Ahhh my poor lungs. At least I don't smoke. The only way I've managed to cope in China is not think too much about it, but also taking such precautions as using water filters and air purifiers. If you start thinking about all the production and food chains, and think about where they come from, what they go through, life would be unbearable.

^ ANY type of pollution is harmful.. whether it's chinese, taiwanese, Honkies or Macanese! lol...

I prefer Mexican grown pollution.

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Wasn't your name Linda yesterday?
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