Blue Skies for the Olympics
This isn't what I planned to talk about next, but it's so interesting that I felt someone needed to mention it on the blogs....
If you're watching the Olympic activities, you're probably aware of the pollution issue in China. I heard this morning that the pollution index in New York this morning is 31, with 50 being the level given as the top figure for human safety. Today's pollution index in Beijing is 95.
For those bloggers who've toyed around with the idea that a totalitarian government is a good idea, you must be really impressed with how the Chinese gov't can shut down factories and issue restrictions on driving.
It's pretty amazing. Some U.S. cities, like Minneapolis, have restrictions on drivers, but can you imagine the gov't telling us that cars with even-numbered license plates have to stay off the streets one day, odd-numbered the next? Wow, that's power!
Those Chinese citizens caught driving on the wrong day are being fined $14, which doesn't sound like much to an American, but it's supposedly quite stiff in China. The goal is to cut the 3.3 million cars in half during the Olympics in order to clear away the grey-brown haze over Beijing.
As outlandish as all these pollution-control techniques sound, I wonder if that's a preview of things to come for us over here in the U.S.? I remember looking out the window, as my husband and I used to fly back and forth from Alaska to the Lower 48, and I always noticed that haze over St. Louis as we came in.
Whether there's a brown haze over the games, or the government succeeds in creating blue skies, the 2008 Olympics will be an amazing glimpse into a region of the world which has been off limits to western viewers for a long, long time!
From the remote blue skies of Tillman, Mo., this is your non-Chinese-speaking rural journalist, signing off to go enjoy a COOL August morning!!!
Comments
- -- Posted by shannonhoon on Fri, Aug 8, 2008, at 8:52 AM
- -- Posted by mrsdolphin on Fri, Aug 8, 2008, at 10:56 AM
- -- Posted by mobrigade on Fri, Aug 8, 2008, at 12:59 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Fri, Aug 8, 2008, at 4:26 PM
- -- Posted by FJGuy on Fri, Aug 8, 2008, at 7:08 PM
- -- Posted by shannonhoon on Sat, Aug 9, 2008, at 10:40 AM
- -- Posted by BonScott on Sat, Aug 9, 2008, at 10:44 AM
- -- Posted by shannonhoon on Sun, Aug 10, 2008, at 12:06 PM
- -- Posted by changedname on Sun, Aug 10, 2008, at 12:44 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Mon, Aug 11, 2008, at 6:13 AM
- -- Posted by gardengirl on Mon, Aug 11, 2008, at 12:35 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Mon, Aug 11, 2008, at 8:05 PM
- -- Posted by I.B. Le Truth on Mon, Aug 11, 2008, at 8:53 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, at 7:51 AM
- -- Posted by shannonhoon on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, at 10:33 AM
- -- Posted by I.B. Le Truth on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, at 1:51 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, at 5:00 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, at 5:03 PM
- -- Posted by I.B. Le Truth on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, at 7:53 PM
- -- Posted by genbug on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, at 8:26 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Wed, Aug 13, 2008, at 10:30 PM
- -- Posted by I.B. Le Truth on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, at 6:55 PM
- -- Posted by FJGuy on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, at 8:30 PM
- -- Posted by shannonhoon on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, at 10:57 PM
- -- Posted by mrsdolphin on Thu, Aug 14, 2008, at 11:44 PM
- -- Posted by changedname on Fri, Aug 15, 2008, at 12:25 PM
- -- Posted by I.B. Le Truth on Sat, Aug 16, 2008, at 9:00 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Sat, Aug 16, 2008, at 9:13 PM
- -- Posted by mrsdolphin on Sat, Aug 16, 2008, at 11:01 PM
- -- Posted by I.B. Le Truth on Sat, Aug 16, 2008, at 11:02 PM
- -- Posted by mrsdolphin on Sun, Aug 17, 2008, at 12:47 AM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Sun, Aug 17, 2008, at 8:58 AM
- -- Posted by mrsdolphin on Sun, Aug 17, 2008, at 1:06 PM
- -- Posted by mrsdolphin on Sun, Aug 17, 2008, at 1:12 PM
- -- Posted by mrsdolphin on Sun, Aug 17, 2008, at 1:16 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Sun, Aug 17, 2008, at 6:16 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Mon, Aug 18, 2008, at 7:25 AM
- -- Posted by mrsdolphin on Mon, Aug 18, 2008, at 1:01 PMMadeline Dejournett's response:Good thinking, dolphin! They'll remember that forever and be able to say that they saw a moment in history! They can catch up on their sleep another day!
- -- Posted by FJGuy on Tue, Aug 19, 2008, at 8:09 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Wed, Aug 20, 2008, at 6:24 PM
- -- Posted by I.B. Le Truth on Wed, Aug 20, 2008, at 8:21 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Thu, Aug 21, 2008, at 6:27 AM
- -- Posted by FJGuy on Thu, Aug 21, 2008, at 12:43 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Sat, Aug 23, 2008, at 5:46 AM
Respond to this blog
Posting a comment requires free registration:
- If you already have an account, follow this link to login
- Otherwise, follow this link to register