PM 2.5 arrives in Japan

[bikkuri bahn]

Kumamoto was blanketed with the stuff.  Sapporo had low levels today (35 micrograms).  Osaka had somewhere around 70 micrograms- Keitaro, advise you monitor the news should levels rise.

 

 

Kumamoto Residents Stay Indoors Amid China Pollution Fears By Alexander Martin

Residents of Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu were asked to voluntarily stay in their homes Tuesday, after air pollution levels surpassed government safety standards.

 

The request was the first since the environment ministry released new safety guidelines in February, and came as Japan grows increasingly worried about toxic air pollution spilling over from China and threatening Japanese coastal areas.

A spokesman for the prefecture said readings made at one of the prefecture’s 18 checkpoints, Arao-city in northern Kumamoto, indicated that levels of “PM 2.5″ were above 85 since early morning, “so we decided to issue the warning.”

complete article:

http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2013/03/05/kumamoto-residents-stay-indoors-amid-china-pollution-fears/

[CaptOblivious]

Wow, this is interesting news indeed!

[Densha]

I heard vaguely about pollution problems in Beijing, but hadn't the slightest idea this would even end up in Japan. China, and all other places in the world too, really have to come up with a way to not ruin this planet with toxic gasses. I still vote for planting as many deserts as possible full of solar panels and such ideas, but unfortunately governments don't realize the danger of the pollution enough and even if they do they don't take enough measures.

Edited March 5, 2013 by Densha

[miyakoji]

It's so bad it's getting all the way to Japan?! I picked two rough locations, Beijing and Fukuoka, and the distance is 893mi/1437km!

http://www.distance-calculator.co.uk/world-distances-fukuoka-to-beijing.htm

[ToniBabelony]

I've grow up near one of the most polluted streets in the Netherlands (PM10 and PM 2.5 having a party up in the lungs), so I think I can manage this as well (Tokyo is still a bit too far away to notice something from the Chinese yumminess). Still, it was to be expected that the Chinese pollution would reach other countries as well.

 

Anyway, I think it's extremely arrogant of China to still use industrial methods that belonged in the 1970s instead of getting help from abroad where these out-of-date and extremely polluting methods are long phased out. Okay, China wants to do it all on its own, without help from the outside, but now they're dealing with extreme pollution and environmental disasters around the country. Good job.

[keitaro]

No Toni they want to keep everything as cheap as possile. hence the artifically deflated currency.

 

Imagine what effects would have if china became expensive to manufacture in.

 

should hurry up and get space freight going and manufacture on the moon lol.

[Densha]

I heard on the news that in China the prices are rising too, also food is getting more expensive.

[ToniBabelony]

should hurry up and get space freight going and manufacture on the moon lol.

 

Space is the place, though I doubt things will be cheaper coming from the moon (on a short term at least).

[Densha]

1 billion yen for a wamu in 1/150 or something like that...

 

Somewhat related, a few months ago I read that there had been studied upon sending radioactive waste to space but that's a no-no considering what would happen if the rocket would not reach outer space and come down to earth.