Oh! dear, V.I. that's terrible isn't it?
What about this one?
Recognise it? Of course, its London, taken in December 1952.
As a young labourer, I recall working on the roof of a high rise office block on the south side of Sydney, with a view over what was then the industrial heart of Sydney. From what seemed like hundreds of factories, plumes of smoke rose into the sky.
When pollution became a public scandal, factory owners claimed nothing could be done. But there was something they could do, and they did it. They closed their factories and moved them to, where ... haha! of course, China (among other places). I suppose you could say that western countries dodged their pollution issues and exported it....
So is China now the worst polluted place on the planet?
Here's a report from the Australian National Broadcaster (dated May 09, 2014)
Link: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-08/10-countries-with-the-worlds-dirtiest-air/5438872
Air pollution: 10 countries with the world's dirtiest air
By Natalie Whiting
Updated 9 May 2014, 3:31pm
The database examined air pollution levels in 1600 cities across 91 countries. It found only 12 per cent of people were living in cities that complied with WHO air quality guideline levels.
Almost 90 per cent of people living in the world's cities are being exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution, according to a damning report into outdoor air quality from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The report was more extensive than a similar database released by the WHO in 2011 and has found air quality has deteriorated in that time.
Outdoor air pollution killed 3.7 million people in 2012 and WHO says it is now the world's largest single environmental health risk.
Delhi topped the list of cities with the highest level of air pollution.
Despite extensive coverage of the pollution problems in Beijing, the city came in at number 77 on the list. Among the countries, China was ranked 14th.
The WHO says the Chinese data provided to them was from 2010, but Beijing's city government began publishing hourly PM2.5 data in January 2012.
The WHO database examined the concentration of fine particulate pollution of 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter (PM2.5) and of particulate pollution of 10 micrometers or less in diameter (PM10).
The concentration of air pollution is measured in micrograms per cubic meter of air (ug/m3). PM2.5 is considered the best indicator of assessing health impacts from air pollution. WHO says there is no safe level of PM2.5 pollution.
Here are the 10 countries with the highest levels of air pollution:
Cities with the worst air pollution
Delhi, India
Patna, India
Gwalior, India
Raipur, India
Karachi, Pakistan
Peshwar, Pakistan
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Khoramabad, Iran
Ahmedabad, India
Lucknow, India
Source: World Health Organisation
I'm sure you noted from the above that near 90% of people living in all the cities of the world (maybe your own city) breathe UNSAFE air.
So here's a question for you, why are you scared of China?
