Zhengzhou is none of China’s top 10 most polluted cities, according to the country’s environmental ministry.
A Henan travel agency brought in twenty bags of air as a publicity campaign to encourage the impoverished, smog-ridden community to take a load off and visit Laojun Mountain. According to the article, the few lucky residents, who were limited to a few minutes each with the bag, "tried to wring the bags in order to extract every bit of air possible."
If photos of people hungrily breathing in clean air aren't enough of a wake-up call, consider that Henan has been selling canned air to its residents for more than a year. The province is one of the most polluted areas of the world, but it may not be long before we see this trend happening closer to home.
But at least for now, things aren't that bad here, although in August something like this might fly in Bakersfield, California, especially if you could keep the air chilled, as if it had just flowed over a snowfield. What would people pay, five bucks for a bag?
We already sell water at a price higher than gasoline. Why not sell air as a gimmick too?
ReplyDeleteBut this points out that rather than focus so much on EPA's ability to erect draconian standards, why aren't we going after the real source of the problem in China (and India for that matter)? They are the ones who are affecting the clean air quality of the world.
And have you ever seen the toxic waste dumps in the former Soviet Union? Don't talk to me about how Capitalism is somehow at fault for all the pollution.
I've been there and the air quality is horrible. A deep breath from a car's exhaust would be better than the basic air. I'm headed back in 3 weeks for work and am not looking forward to it. It's like a thick cloud of yellow-brown crud that burns your lungs.
ReplyDeleteWorker's Paradise.
Do the Chinese blame Bush for the bad air quality?
Deleteyou know this would be a good way for the enviros to occupy their time and solve our trade imbalance at the same time. have seal of approval like the good housekeeping seal of approval let the enviros be in control of it .they could go over seas and if the exporter doesn't gst their seal then it cant be exported to the usa and the same for labor pay and conditions.boy wouldn't that be a battle royal! they would harass the commies and would be too preoccupied to mess with us! your friend truckwilkins
ReplyDelete