July 3, 2008 5:35 PM
Smog Happens
About 20 minutes before landing in Beijing, the pilot on my United flight offered a quick weather update.
"Oh, the temperature's about the same as Chicago, and there's very little wind," he said. Then, without sarcasm or snark, he added this note: "Visibility's looking about four kilometers today."
Now, consider the fact that the new runway at Beijing's airport is only 3.8 km long, and well... that's not exactly a Townshendsian vote of confidence for any pilot landing a fully-loaded 747.
Around town, it's startling how little you can see. A mist stagnates nearly all day; even late at night, the haze tends sit, heavy amongst the trees and small gazebos near my hotel.
One more anecdote:
On Wednesday night, sleepless, I take a cab into the center of the city. On the way back, it's about 1 a.m. My cabbie passes a construction site on the right side of the highway. There's a crane, looming about 10 stories high, in between two tall buildings. From the crane, a flood light is hanging, shining out a bluish, almost-teal light over the construction area. There is a thick block of smog trapped between the buildings.
From a distance, I'm not sure exactly what's going on. The light reminds me immediately of the front headlights on those deep-sea exploring vessels, probing the depths for sunken ships. The thickness of the smog is remarkable; it has nowhere to escape, and so it sits there, an ominous blue light illuminating the roadside pollution.
Or, perhaps I can offer you this: any fog that dense usually involves indoor fireworks and theme music.
December 16, 2009
1:56 PM
James Brown writes:
myself I prefer to create my own themes. Artisteer is ideal for that. Done in mintues