I guess you could say I’m a glutton for punishment. Working in China was a great time, and studying at LSE is shaping up to be one, but for such international experience I am forced to make significant sacrifices. Over the past three years, I have become accustomed to life without blue sky. Whether breathing the intense industrial smog of Northern China or, more recently, getting dumped on by the perma-clouds in the UK, I have to make do with a life largely devoid of clean, crisp sunshine.
It is such that when I come across a clear, blue day, I must look at the sky and stand in awe of whatever warped entity endowed such beauty on us poor humans. Not much on this planet is more beautiful than a beautiful day.
Now you might be surprised that when the sun comes out in London, it is indeed a gorgeous place. Air pollution here really is minimal; kudos to whomever managed to get it cleaned up. Unfortunately, these nice days hide among an onslaught of cloudcover, mist, fog, drizzle, rain and whatever else you can do to the sky to make it naturally gray. If London can be beautiful, it can alternatively also be quite depressing. And cold. And wet.
But this morning, as I opened my curtains I was treated to a vast blue expanse, disturbed only by the numerous airliners criss-crossing the sky as they line up for landing at Heathrow. So, to commemorate this remarkable time, I present the first annual, completely biased Blue Sky Awards.
The “Not as Bad as You’d Expect” Award (China): Shanghai
Ok, ok. Shanghai’s air can be pretty bad. But compared to most other places in the country, this east coast megalopolis is pretty tame in the particulate matter department. Granted, this has probably been achieved by banishing filthy industry to the countryside, but I guess Shanghai still deserves some credit. Blue sky can actually be seen here, and was experienced upon several visits.
The “Not as Bad as You’d Expect” Award (International): New York, London
New York
London
For such huge, industrialized urban agglomerations, the air quality in these places is absolutely top knotch (unless you are a native, then you will bitch about it constantly, especially in London). When people talk of escaping London’s ’smog’ for the countryside, they must be referring to the smoke in bars, because there is nary an industrial emission in sight. Now, if only they could work on that street level diesel stench…
Granted, success here has probably been achieved by banishing filthy industry to developing countries, but I guess New York and London still deserve some credit. Unlike some places, they seem to have stumbled upon an amazing invention: emission controls.
The “Worse Than You Can Imagine” Award: Chongqing and Zibo, Shandong
I think these pictures are pretty self-explanatory.
Dear God.
Chongqing
Zibo
The “Not as Good as You’d Expect” Award: Hainan, Xishuangbanna
These two major tourist destinations offer sunlight and relaxation, and are definitely miles ahead of the more populated areas of China in terms of blue sky. Yet, they still seem incapable of completely escaping the haze that sits over all of Asia. Hainan, through no fault of its own, sits just a bit too close to the Guangdong industrial powerhouse. I’m not too sure where the haze in Xishuangbanna came from, but it was sadly noticeable on my last visit.
A certain something sits over the Mekong in Xishuangbanna
The “Absolutely Stunning” Award: Lijiang, Yunnan and Dunhuang, Gansu
I think these pictures are pretty self-explanatory.
Lijiang
Dunhuang
Wow.
The “Really Amazing for a City” Award: Kunming and Montreal
Kunming
Montreal
There is not much better than the shock of fresh air one gets in Kunming upon arrival from Eastern China. Along similar lines, there is not much better than realizing that my hometown of three and a half million people has cleaner air than many rural areas on the planet. A smog warning in Montreal is a complete joke: who is smoking the cigarette?
The “Most Frustrating” Award: Hangzhou
Hangzhou on a good day
Hangzhou on a bad day
My second home in China was perhaps the most annoying in terms of air quality. One day would be gorgeous, and then the next would be so filthy as to simulate life inside an exhaust pipe. It could be a beautiful place and an industrial hell all wrapped into one, neat Chinese package. Not quite paradise on earth, but an occasional clear autumn day by West Lake was good enough.
The “Complete Shock” Award: Arriving in Vancouver from China
I guess Canada really is, uhh, beautiful and clean.
The “The US Is The Biggest Polluter on Earth?? What??” Award: Rhode Island
Star and Stripes, lookin’ good
I’ve always loved New England, and for good reason.
The “Pretty Bad for a ‘developed’ Country” Award: Paris
Ok, I haven’t been there since 1997, but when I lived there was a certain stench in the air. Being a fresh-faced Canadian boy, it was my first experience of life with diesel and without catalytic converters. I still remember the brown cloud that usually greeted us upon our final descent to the airport. I’m sure that it pales compared to the Chinese effort, but, hey, I’ve got to bash some Western places too.