Is China Really That Polluted?
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
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Pollution in China. Cliche. However, it's worse than ever, and we go into the thick of it. Pollution has always been an issue in China, and this year more than ever. Beijing issued their first red alert of the year. It's getting bad, we hope it will get better soon.
A team of Chinese and American scientists have jointly produced an affordable air filter out of soya bean protein that can remove almost all the harmful fine polluting particles that existing air filters were unable to achieve.
The environmentally-friendly air filter removed more than 99.94 per cent of PM2.5 pollutants - fine particles in smog that are smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter and most harmful to health, a study showed.
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Living in China for so long, we would like to share some of the comparisons that we have found between China and the west, and shed some light on the situation.
Every week, we take you to a new place in China on our bikes, cover a topic, and reply to your questions.
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I learn more about modern China from you guys, more than any other source! Keep up the great work!
Sean Bell - Yes, guys! You're great.
I learn more about my own country from these guys!
foreign vermin? lol. i know you're just trolling, but china is its own worst enemy.
By "causing trouble" do mean pointing the finger at corruption and bad government? It should be the PEOPLE of China doing it...
ikr, this channel should be way bigger :)))
I'm a young american 24 year old guy with a mixed Mexican\Jamaican ethnicity and I learn sooo much about the reality of China from you both. thank you for always recording and showing all the viewers the truth about what to enjoy and have fun in China and what to be cautious for and avoid, Cheers to you both.
I live in the northeast of china, and I have to always wear a mask. inside my home I have a big air filter made specifically for the pollution...they put coal burning factories smack downtown, and it goes everywhere....common sense isn't a big thing here
question is, does the mask really help?!
bjkina better idea, think he is dating your sister. He said it worth the pollution.
I am going home. The pollution is so bad that my health is the worst it's ever been in my life.
In theory most being N95 or higher should work but that depends on how good a seal you get around the nose and sides.
+Anton B Respiratory masks like N95 do help, but you have to change the filter pretty often.
dang...no fun! China must invest in alternative energy with ferocity.
I think they've been building loads of nuclear.
Rip
Nuclear energy has proven to be a very unstable and dirty way of producing power.
Hiipy that's just uninformed bullshit
Nathan are you stupid? Name me one nuclear power plant that wouldn't be in severe danger of catastrophic failure after a natural disaster like an earthquake or Tsunami, or total human error. Nuclear power is dirty and unsafe. Nuclear rods never stop producing nuclear waste that must be stored for tens of thousands of years before it's safe again. You sound uninformed if you think the current way of producing nuclear power is a safe and effective way.
Maybe you should educate yourself before you call other people uninformed. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_and_radiation_accidents_and_incidents
Stay safe guys, and chew each breath before swallowing.
NorthernChev shut the fuck up
whoa
NorthernChev some parts of China are equal to 40 over the course of a day. Really hope China and the west can both cut down on this garbage it's awful.
@@anthonydehn9854 Go fuck yourself! Right now! Don't wait! You will like it!
lel
I lived in Xi'an for a couple of months over the winter a few years ago. It must have been a good year because there were only a few occasions where you could really feel the pollution. And it never stayed very long. But if those few occasions where it was bad were longer I could see a ton of problems that it would create. Great video guys, keep em up!
I must say that you guys have been SO INCREDIBLY interesting for me. I LOVE these stories with a passion.
I'm a college student who major in Environmental Science and grew up in Huizhou. So I deeply agree with your perspectives that the biggest problem about pollution is related to economic status quo. Both the government and the polluters are kind of unwilling to take strict actions to better the condition as it costs so much. But it is the residents in China who suffer the most for their faults, which is definitely unfair. And this is getting more and more severe with more and more complaints made. I just hope that the day when Chinese authorities truely realize the urgency and become determined to take firm measures come as soon as possible(instead of just making some declarations). It CAN be improved. DONT wait until it's too late. Finally, I love your videos, and hopefully I can see you guys on the street and get a signature maybe!
Thanks for your comment! We really appreciate your support!
Aaron Li I'm not denying the merits and significance of economic development and the progress we have made, but requesting a more realistic solution that will be carried out properly. It is a tough problem, indeed. And I'm just studying my major to try to shed more light on this problem. Sometimes I can't help complaining because some deeds in China such as the poor transparency of Environmental statistics and incomplete supervisor system really upset me. I may not be able to make changes to the environmental policies for my entire life and I kind of don't see any hope if the status quo doesn't alter. Still thanks for your comment.
你不知道伦敦当年还叫雾都吗？花了十几年才治理好！！！！！他们当年决定治理的时候也是因为工业革命以后资本累积到一定程度才这样做！！！！
你拿19世紀英國工業革命以後的發展來護航也太不恰當....那時候環保技術跟現在是天差地遠，連觀念都沒有，現在又不是說沒這個技術讓中國政府運用，你對中國政府還真樂觀.....我看了這外國人的影片才知道中國的城市真的是殘破不堪....一堆莫名其妙的面子工程，道路修建奇差無比，再怎麼說惠州也是沿海經濟發達的城市吧，一堆路連柏油都沒鋪，有鋪的也沒劃線....看了一下他其他影片，我只聽他說過兩的中國的優點，一個是吃的東西多樣性很多(但食物不衛生很容易拉肚子)，一個是第一線的城市確實很進步，但走出這些城市就是跟他影片拍的完全一樣....還要經濟發展?都讓你發展多久了，保7都沒了塊硬著陸了還這個破樣子，人家在中國生活十年幾乎生不出半句中國好話，中國人還真會騙自己
你要不要去俄罗斯看看什么叫做真正的面子工程？？典型的先入为主，治理环境技术是重要，可比得上污染源？我上次还说少了呢！伦敦多大点地方人家花了将近半个世纪！！关了多少工厂你知道吗？这背后都是牵一发而动全身的事！中国要是现在一刀切关了所有工厂，又是一夜回到解放前！倒时候你们还会说呀！你看啊！中国人多穷啊！这么多残破不堪的城市！人都又脏又穷，这些环境问题都是循序渐进的好吗？你们一个个天天是中国这不好那不好！是想让中国变多快？七十二变好不好！休息一下不行？中国今年政策准备关了多少工厂，比如纸厂污染源你关注了吗？算了你看不见！！你前面那几句话我还乐意回你一下，后面的话简直暴露你是井底之蛙！！你想看看中国三十年以前的路吗？你说我拿十九世纪英国比喻不恰当，请问你这说了一大推中国怎样怎样！又是拿哪个国家哪个时间段来当参照物？你既然喜欢看缺点那就好好看，中国那么大多着缺点呢！慢慢找吧！反正中国被你们这帮蝇营狗苟和西方媒体黑了这么多年了也不差你一个！耍了多少年嘴炮了！有个卵用？最后大过年的送你一句话：就喜欢你讨厌中国又干不掉中国的样子！！！
I like how Winston is always so earnest and responsible to the others, seems like he's never afraid of getting involved in complex situations. This is indeed something we should learn! 👍
Good to see you guys back in china and your conversations...:)
Thanks for the Air Quality Index site info. It is currently 30 in inner suburban Brisbane Australia.
Something I've noticed here in the various cities I've been to this winter is that the downtown cores always are less polluted. Most cities are surrounded by rings of coal plants, you could play connect the dots on a map with them. Harbin for example was crystal clear but the moment you get into a suburb it gets smoggy real quick. Living in a suburb its been very interesting seeing how the winter pollution timeline progresses. The pollution is never random as the guys said, it's bad now because Spring Festival is almost here.
Thank you all for Caring!Thank you for your concern for us!
Yeah, 2 years later but everything these guys say about China is out of concern not malice. I know Chinese have the concept of saving face but china really needs to move beyond that to truly progress.
@@constructivist6 Chinese doesn't take criticism well. This problem because of CONTROL and CENSOR information when you have only major support on the news, then the usual "Beware of Foreigners" and such.
Then you have Foreigners talk about things "negative" about China that you don't hear often on the news.
It's kind of like religion in a sense which China's system is doing. If you bad mouth any religions, religious people will deny it and get angry at you, same things here.
Besides the air pollution, you need to do video on the water pollution. It’s even more incredible! I lived in Taipei, Taiwan during the 80’s and it was very bad then. Happily they DEMOCRATIZED and cared more about their environment.
It's quite a topic Glad to see you guys have taken the initiative to raise awareness about it. You guys are awesome!
I wish you guys uploaded more often on this chanel, I really like this type of videos.
also I bought and loved your doc on vimeo where you traveled around the south
bjkina low mein
I'm glad you guys are positive about the pollution solution, because I feel like it's just at such a high level that turning it around is going to take a very long time. Half the emissions and it's still AQI of 500 in some areas which is going to be fatal for many. Along with it being just a immediate symptom of the massive climate change issue. So much more needs to be done. I find the level of pollution beyond horrifying as it is today.
When sailing into Shanghai we noticed the very thick smog 3 hours out to sea and the guard rail was think with soot
Thanks for the Ride ! This beats doing Google maps !
Loved the episode as well. Hope things get better for pollution in China !
really enjoying this channel, keep up the good work. :) i find it fascinating how things work on the streets in real life, not just some glamour shots of big cities lit up beautifully. this is like the real grit of the country, not sugar-coated, no bullshit even from a couple of guys who apparently really do love the place despite its issues.
C Milk and Winston deserve the "Dudes of the Year" award.
We are waiting for the award.
i vote yes
can i vote 10 times?
Hey guys! I would like to see a video on organized crime in China...like the Triads. I am not sure how you would know about it but one thing is for sure, and that is that you know more than us! Thanks!
so in that case a video on the CCP
You guys are great. I am Chinese from Hong Kong, but live in Canada for many years. You guys provided an objective and real life view of China. Great job!!!!
I went to visit my grandparents in China one year. On the first day, I decided I would do a run around the area, because I was doing track in school at the time. That night, I had what was probably an asthma attack, and I don't have asthma. After that I just avoided all cardio vascular activity that would involve a lot of breathing.
This is absolutely disgusting, I feel terrible for these poor children.
does "face" require that you not backup to let a cement truck through?
weesh ful It could also be that as soon as you yield once, you are forced to yield again and again and again.
weesh ful : Winston and C-milk noticed that someone was crawling around under the cement truck - probably the driver; possibly to check out a fault. He seems to have stopped the truck at a *slightly* wider point on the narrow road, which - if stopping at that point was not merely coincidental - shows a level of consideration for others which is generally absent amongst Chinese drivers (bus and truck drivers ordinarily being the worst offenders - "might is right"). I have had to intervene when two Chinese drivers refused to give way to each other (a video of the encounter is on my CZcams channel). The entire concept of "face" is a huge barrier to exercising common sense.
Bitch get out of my way. I have guan xi.
I'm a big fan of the drone footage! Looks great!
I thought "Stay Awesome" was SerpentZA closing one liner. You'll have to come up with another one for ADVChina. Just a thought.
I think the more important reason of why air pollution are always the heaviest during the winter is because the heating, you know in the northern China the temperature goes really cold and everybody have to count on the municipal heating system, which is basically a system that distributes boiled water with a huge pipe system and heat your house through radiators. It would raise the room temperature up to at least 18 degrees Celsius. In order to make this service affordable for the people, the government use the cheapest fuel in china, coal. China have a lot of coal, it is one of the few kinds of natural resources that china don't need to import.
Kliment Li why? Or 为啥？
What happened to North koreas coal exporting indutries solely defending on china?
김우성 well, that is more like a political reason......I mean, china don't need to, but we still can.......
i live in north, that is fking true mate
+Peter Byrne Typical chinese logic. If that's not cninese fault, then who else to blame? After world war 2, Germans were blamed for what NAZIS did for. Be a man, chinaman.
4:39 Summer breeze, makes me feel fine.
Yes, tigin 1995, from my 8th floor hotel window I could not
See 2 blocks to the next high rise building, until the wind came in and blows
Away the pollution, and there stands a building .
Recently discovered your channel and I really enjoy it, but I gotta say... The jiggling of your voice on the bike is HILARIOUS lol
This is such a good channel! I've been watching all the videos!
That artwork in the end, add some Synthwave music to it, and you guys will be even more amazing. Keep it up, all the best from fellow Russian. :)
Nice Seals and Croft 'Summer Breeze' brief shoutout
Awesome video guys. I prefer the videos 15+ minutes, as it gives a more in-depth look at these topics.
if you put some solar panal on your house roof, the gov will offer you 2000 cny aka $300 every year here in rural Hebei right now. But I think that is not gonna work because there is never bright sunshine in the winter, the panals will not collect much power.
I had firsthand experience of what pollution is like in Beijing, and it what past it's peak in early April....bad, very bad. The official explanation, I got was fine sand blow from the northern deserts,and that is what most local Chinese are made to believe.
nah mate, we know its not sand blow, its common sense, we are not stupid to believe that
yifujames Chen ha ha that is true, even the Guide that explain this to us said that, that was the standard 'official explanation'. not her explanation
So nice of you to warn that guy about the traffic.
I don't know why but this kind of conscientiousness is heartwarming.
I liked where you were riding in this one, good to see random interesting places
Hey Guys! It is a bit off topic but there is one minor thing what just bugs my mind whenever I watch your videos. I'm a petrolhead myself so I can't help but notice that your RPM gauges don't work. I stare at them whenever they're on screen hoping they'll start rolling. :D
Is there a specific reason for this?
And also I'd be really interested to know the specs of you bikes. :D Have you made any videos on the topic or can I read about them somewhere?
Thank you for your answers! "And as always, stay awesome!" :D
While the majority of the pollution in China is coming from coal, about 30% is coming from motor vehicles. There are definitely too many cars in China, and tens-, if not hundreds of thousands of new vehicles on the road each year. Tighter regulation of ALL vehicles is in order.
You two are absolutely amazing! Please start making even longer videos lol, I could really watch your channel all day long!
Great channel. Very informative. Glad I found you. I worked (language teacher) in Xi'an for 3 years. Winter pollution there was extreme.
I live in the Bay area (Northern California) and we've had terrible wildfires in nearby Sonoma County and then one 2 towns over in Dublin a smaller one. The smokes been blowing down here and you can't see even a quarter mile through it. It's Exactly like the pollution in China. I was just thinking about that yesterday when I couldn't see the bay bridge on a freeway that I can normally see all of San Francisco clearly. It's a nightmare. Thankfully, our air will clear once these fires subside fully. But no, it's not just humidity. You're right, of course.
Intresting topic thank you for the video.
I love the drone shots you include in your videos, they're gorgeous, and seeing you ride around with that huge bag
on your back is a sign of your dedication towards providing us with amazing aerial footage that showcases all of
the beautiful landscapes. I think it's something a lot of people take for granted but it really enhances the scenes.
I would love to hear more about India! I'd really enjoy watching videos about your trip planning, and how you go about choosing your routes/destinations/visit. My dream is to extensively travel India one day. You can be sure that I will definitely be staying tuned!
Have the Chinese embraced nuclear power?
not sure I'd trust them with cutting corners with their reactors and safety measures, so perhaps it's best they don't.
I think they are currently building new reactors.
thanks Mark
that is terrifying to think about...
they can't even build houses that don't fall apart.
There is a nuclear power plant near Shenzhen.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daya_Bay_Nuclear_Power_Plant
In fact, there are many others around China up in the north.
Your content is amazing! Where are you guys from anyway? South africa or something? Can't quite place your accents ^^
+Julian Lankhorst British South African and a Yankee
ADVChina fucking yankees...
jk I'm from Boston
but yeah, about those fucking yanks..
go red sox? :D
A b r o a d Cmilk from Buffalo New York
No way, didn't you hear them speak Mandarin? They are obviously Chinese. 😂👍🏻 Yes, their content is really cool. I can't believe they braved going past a landfill in China. I would have only done it with a respirator. YUCK! 🤢
Binghamton New York
Love the show. I kind of miss the old intros. That song always pumps me up for the episode
So glad to see your new videos, take care of yourselves the pollution is so scary
When i was living in Seoul, South Korea, in the winter time smog would be as bad as it gets, that combined with the yellow dust coming from China bringing all the pollution form the industrial zone of northern china was horrible. I live in Brazil and the air is super clean here, to get used to the air quality in Seoul was a torture.
As a civil engineer, i know that we need energy and with the growing demand of China it`s hard for them to shut down the coal power plants, but i think that, if they would make an effort to modernize the facilities using more efficient generators and with high-tech air filters , the problem could be at least controlled while they change the energy matrix, which would take a while. (Something like 10 to 20 years.)
You can't just blame the Chinese, of course, they help, A LOT, but Koreans also burn coal, especially for heating.
They dont care that much
I Remember U
You Lift My Spirit
With You High Is All I'm Feeling
I Remember How We Felt Alive
I Remember U
Lol 😂
Super happy you boys are back!
This makes me so happy to live in Oklahoma. The sky is clear, the weather is amazing. and the air is sweet from the trees and grass.
Yeah, Southern China is much better than the north. Folks, come down to Guangdong Province, the best one in China
Guangdong represent!
Chen Shi Zhenjiang is pretty nice too...
Was hoping you'd make a video on the pollution in China! Thank you!
Lt. Feltersnach Hey loser.
Can't believe only 227K subs; should be 10x this or better. Top-shelf content.
I remember when the air in Los Angeles was terrible and you could not see skyscrapers which was near the freeways on a smog filled day. They cleared that problem up some and it is getting even better there. I can only imagine how terrible it is there with all the pollution they have in China.
Good news is that China is set to open up the first commercial Molten Salt Reactor this year
+Illya Oh! Any links? I'd love to know more about this. I knew they were working on a prototype, but I had not heard they were going to do a commercial version.
oh please provide a link!
that is indeed fantastic news if they can solve the cornucopia of problems with breeder reactors!
weesh ful "Construction of the plant is nearly complete, and the next 18 months will be spent installing the reactor components, running tests, and loading the fuel before the reactors go critical in November 2017, said Zhang Zuoyi"
www.technologyreview.com/s/600757/china-could-have-a-meltdown-proof-nuclear-reactor-next-year/
puppetsock Reply to weesh ful
China + nuclear power.... scary.
I hope the best for China! 💗
we all do!
I lived in Shanghai where the pollution wasn't the worst but during winter it got quite bad. I remember waking up one morning and it seemed like it was really foggy outside. But knowing it was China, I just in case checked the pollution level....the index was way over 400! Don't remember exact number but it was quite rough for the lungs. Since where I come from, the air is absolutely one of the purest in the whole Europe.
Thank you for uploading this video. I've been wondering when you guys would talk about pollution in China. I went to Beijin last summer and got sick in 2 days due to the air pollution. The food is delicious, I loved people and enjoyed the Great Wall, but the air pollution impressed me a lot. It's almost impossible to breath, man... I don't know how come kids be healthily raised in such suffocating and toxic place. I really sorry for them. How come Chinese Government do not think seriously about their population's future? If they don't mind about others, governors should at least think about themselves and their relatives as they all breath the same air. And about you guys? As you chose to live in there, don't you worry about your health conditions being affected by something that you cannot control and acts in you body 24/7? PS. I've met people from different cities and provinces in China (even more "distant" ones like Harbin) that state the pollution also heavily affects their cities.
It is said that every month in BJ will take away a yr from your life.
And lets try not pollute the comments either guys xD
That was soo funny when you said you dont get the summer breeze, I was thinking the same song and started singing it to myself lol Ah great minds think alike.Stay safe guys.........peace
*Blowing through the jasmine in my mind*
4:40
My in-laws live in Beijing, and have been complaining a lot about the pollution recently. My niece said it was like living in a chimney.
I've seen worse pollution in Beijing in the past than what you are dealing with there in Huizhou, I've also seen blue skies in Beijing. They certainly know how to improve the air quality, but it's like you said, the cost is something no one wants to bear.
Also, I saw on TV here in Australia, they are exporting canned air to China now. I wonder why....
Yes. China has air pollution and food safety problem. But look at true figures instead of stories which could be biased due to media or personal experience and belief : Beijing has a life expectancy 82 years and Shanghai has life expectancy 82.75 years. On the other hand, New York has a life expectancy only 80 years. Got it? Residents living in China's big cities enjoy longer life expectancy than America's big city.
Whoa longer does not mean better. Whose going to live longer a millionaire rock star? Or a snowflake working at McDonald's and living off mommy and daddy? Whose going to have a better life?
@@jerrydurantiii3360 Probably the guy working at McD tbh
Comparing a homogeneous population to a heterogeneous population never works. If you look at NYC life expectancy for the different groups your argument, as we say, holds no water.
When I checked, the website showed London as 81, a moderate score, while Beijing have 212, very unhealthy. You sure the site is working correctly? As far as I know, London is pretty shit up there in the pollution and smog, on par with Beijing.
not even close
Pumpkin P London's pollution is almost exclusively down to traffic and airways, with very little manufacturing taking place in the city itself. Whereas I'm assuming due to Beijing's scale and the worlds demand for goods, it's in a completely different league in terms of the output of harmful particulate
Delhi is the world's most polluted city at the moment.
Mark Mark So Beijing's size compared to London has nothing to do with the difference in pollution? Are you okay?
Mark Mark Desert dust definitely plays a part, but it's the production industries causing the majority of the health issues and deaths.
1950s vehicles will still run after an electro magnetic pulse.
Some of the coolest vids on CZcams - thanks guys
The less developed provinces are far better. Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, for example.
Very true. We loved all of those provinces!
You are absolutely wrong. Sichuan is currently one of the most severely polluted cities in China. Same as Baoding, Hanzhong. Coastal cities are in turn less polluted. Just one exception is Guangdong. People just don't realize it. It is the government that trying to hide the fact from us.
What are you talking about? Sichuan province is TERRIBLE for pollution, even though the food and people are great there.
hmmm, wrong. Sichuan is the dirtiest I have seen, and the Yunnan has the most minorities, some sort of respect for the land comes with them. Yunnan is the friendliest and least polluted, and the word "develop" is a ruse to throw off criticism of communism.
Fuzhou is ok
why do you live in China if you hate everything about it? just wondering btw love from Brooklyn ❤
both c-milk and winston make many videos explaining why they love china.
for instance, winston made two videos recently about public transit that were very positive.
it seems a little unfair that they do a video that their fans have been begging them to make and then you complain that they hate the country.
They can’t afford to move...
Are toy a first time watcher? I feel they go to great lengths explaining the good and the bad. People ask questions and they give honest answers and as they say all the time a lot of the older Chinese or the brainwashed ones misunderstand them. They actually love China but they don't sugar coat like other people.
They don't, they talk a lot about the stuff they like, they just show a realistic view of both sides.
I cant stop watching you guys!
A very interesting video and lovely format! Very engaging and interesting to have the landscape pass by while discussing the topic. I lived in China as a child and go back from time to time. Despite not remembering much, I do remember that I would see a blue sky far more often. It's such a rare sight now in Beijing.
Mexico City used to have pollution where you can't see 5 feet in front of you, I forgot how exactly they got better but from what I hear they have.
I'm so glad I randomly came across this channel. I'm a USA poker player myself. I'm curious if you guys could talk about views on gambling in China, or if you have. You guys have a great channel going here.
Very enlightening video guys, I'm knew to your videos and I'm enjoying the ride with you.
There is one man who said the reason why most Chinese people that participate in the share market never put "stop loss order" is because the loss is never big enough. That applies to the pollution as well. No matter how many early deaths are predicted or have already occurred, as long as Chinese people could "get over it", the situation won't really change. There will be a turning point in the future, I don't know when, but it must be a point when people value health, blue sky more than the money that could have been made from those highly polluted industries, and that's when a real change will come. Also, that's going to be another good business opportunity one could catch in the near future. For now, I don't want to sound like a dick, but the number of deaths is "too small" and the damage is just not "tremendous" enough. So instead of hoping it will get better, let's wish it get "worse".
In the 1970s Los Angeles went through major air pollution problems. Finally, they enforced the Clean Air Act. And pollution controls were require on all new automobiles and at certain factories. Today, maybe once a year in summer, the air gets a low level rating, but no where near like in the 70s, Google Los Angeles pollution, there are pictures of what it used to be like. I hope they can clean up the air there for the citizens in China. Great video guys.
My grandparents came out from the Midwest to visit my folks in Southern California in the late 1950’s, after my father got a job transfer. My grandfather just raved about the beautiful hills he saw after taking my older siblings for a walk. My mom said, “What hills? There are no hills around here.” Grandpa took my mom outside and pointed to the hills above Pasadena. My parents had lived in their home for three months and didn’t even know there were these beautiful hills nearby because the pollution was so bad. It just happened to be an extraordinarily clear day after a big storm and it cleared the air.
I really appreciate that California has some of the strictest air quality control in the U.S. Our air isn’t perfect, but it’s much better than it could be.
Yeah, I live in Tianjin, and it is always bad during winter. It has been especially bad this year, with utterly terrible visibility. We love it when it rains or is windy because it will clear up for a day or two.
I really enjoy your roadtrip and discussion, I really feel like getting on my bike again and do a roadtrip with my pals.
I think that you guys never experienced the worst of it due to the sea breeze. 400km inland, where I lived for nine years intermittently, I noticed the pollution beginning in 2008, just after the summer Olympics, in late autumn when the monsoon season was already well and over and things were starting to dry up. It was at this time, after the last rice crop had been harvested, that farmers burned what was left. This left the region smoky for weeks on end. Then, in the relatively short winter, there was still a lot of coal being burned. Not as much as the North, but enough. The worst pollution has come from the 10000% increase of cars and the unchecked construction in the cities. When I first moved to South China in 2005 there were only several cars on the road. It was mostly bicycles, motorbikes and 三轮车 (three-wheeled vehicles). And water buffaloes. By the time I left last year there was no space on the road left with all of the cars. Now it wasn't just hazy during the driest part of the year, but ALL of the year, except during periods of heavy rainfall. It was one of the main factors that influenced me leaving China.
It'd be cool to see Prozzie in some of the ADV videos and get his perspective in some of these things!
I felt terrible when I got to Beijing and also in Chengdu. I didn't feel better until I went to Tibet and spent a few weeks there. I was in Delhi a couple years ago and they had a festival at the same time as when the farmers slashed and burned their fields and it was apocalyptic. They are trying to prevent the farmers from doing that, all the festival stuff is preventable too, but India is a tough place to change the people, many are illiterate and really living back in time, at the same time many are going to the US for university and on the leading edge of technology, it's an insane divide.
Good video guys. Nice to see that there is hope. Once they get caught up with things they will eventually find ways that are not only cleaner but more efficient as well.
13:40 I think that's the widest I've heard you guys open the throttles on your bikes. That stuff must have been nasty. :)
The documentary "Under the Dome" presented by a former CCTV journalist explains the air pollution problem in china very well too. Well worth a watch to understand how bad air pollution is getting and also an insight into why western nations are able to keep their aqi under control and china can't.
I think the correct word for it is temperature inversion. Almost the same that happens in Yellowstone National park from time to time that kills animals. Also 1799 and I think in 1953 in London where a low pressure systems caused temperature inversions that resulted in many deaths.
To be fair, Pittsburgh PA in the USA was horribly polluted in the 1950's. Los Angeles had bad air pollution from automobiles up until the 1990's. Taipei was horribly polluted in the 1980's and only was able to clean up because the factories all moved to China. I believe the rich coastal cities like Shanghai will be able to clean up. Beijing, however, might not be able to clean the air due to the sand dust from the Gobi Desert.
Welcome back guys, really great to see you back together on ADVC (although the American stuff was still awesome).
It takes air pressure about (120psi) to release brakes on large vehicles like that cement truck. If the air lines develop a hole or leak on the road, the brakes automatically apply wherever the truck is. For example if he is driving on a freeway and loses air pressure via a leak, the brakes will slowly start to apply until the truck cannot move. That is probably why you see someone crawling underneath the truck (looking for a leak). He was probably stuck in that spot.
it makes me sad when i dont get to hear your awesome starting song... i love it!
The kind of Video's like this is absolutely awesome guys, I love it :D !!! --- Winston, is you speedometer broken or out of action? ..drive safely
Thank you for making these videos. Your work is appreciated.
Sad to say I live in the only city in the world MORE polluted than just about anywhere in China. The pollution and fog problem were so bad last year that you literally couldn't see an arms length away some days. If you want to see real pollution come to Skopje circa October/November.
2:15 Is that the drone you got from Dan in that backpack? Be careful, be safe!
Yes it is :) Thanks
...brought up the "Tipping Point" at the Tip - nice timing.
Please keep em coming! I love adventures from china. One question, I have heard that it is forbidden to talk about politics in China.. or at least very frowned upon... How is it you are able to speak your minds so freely.
I'm in Dongbei and check AQICN almost everyday. It is almost always more or less unhealthy, and worst in the Winter. I read somewhere that in addition to garden variety PM 2.5 pollution from coal fired generators, some of the coal used here actually contains traces of uranium. So I guess if I lived here long enough my lungs might eventually glow in the dark! I also read online that it is estimated that 29% of San Francisco's air pollution originates in China. 30+ years ago, dust from the Gobi Desert made its way to the Pacific NW, but that's a different story, I guess. There are wind generators everywhere, but I understand they are often underutilized. I never thought about fireworks being a source of air pollution. Noise pollution, yes! Today, at about 7:30 this morning fireworks were set off at the ground level of my apartment building, in honor of what I don't know. Noise pollution and air pollution!