Daily Lessons from Life 17 March 2012 - Smog and fog ground hundreds of Beijing flight

"Smog and fog ground hundreds of Beijing flight - AFP 17 March 2012

BEIJING: More than 400 flights to and from Beijing airport, including around 35 international services, were cancelled or delayed on Saturday due to thick fog and strong air pollution covering the city.

Almost 250 flights were cancelled, including some 15 international services, according to the website of the international airport in the Chinese capital.

More than 180 flights were delayed, including about 20 international services, the site said.

Visibility at the airport early Saturday was at less than 200 metres (650 feet), official state news agency Xinhua said, blaming "widespread fog" for the disruption.

But the US embassy, which has its own measuring system, said pollution in Beijing had reached the "hazardous" level early Saturday, before dropping one notch to "very unhealthy" later.

China said this month that two-thirds of its cities currently fail to meet new air-quality standards introduced this week that are based on the pollutants most harmful to health.

The new targets were introduced to placate growing anger among the Chinese public, which is increasingly concerned about health issues."

This is really NOT news for residents of Beijing or some other rapidly developing mega-cities in rapidly developing China. At the same time, an alarm bell the size of a football field should be ringing loudly. So loud that perhaps many had become deaf to it!?

Lessons for me are:

1. we used to live in an environment with little pollution and clear air. There were the unsightly drainage with dead chickens or what not and the terrible stench from the old old Singapore river. Yet, we don't get smog;

2. in China, they don't get such pollution too. Definitely much clearer air though poorer materially. Now, they seems to tolerate the pollution. Even the learned and the privileged who would have treasured their health more than anyone so that they can enjoy their wealth, many newly accumulated!;

3. when you tolerate nonsense, it grows on you. It can take you for granted and you too can take it for granted. Soon, minor irritation grows to major disaster. By then, it is probably too late to reverse anything. Is this where China's mega-cities are heading? Is this what the people want to settle for? Is living in a polluted and unhealthy environment something they have worked SO HARD to achieve? The answer is definitely not. Yet, there is a resignation that it has to be so. It has to get worst before it gets better. Well, something is irreversible. Let's hope the Chinese get it right that it is NOT at the point of no return yet!

Enjoy the time at the airport and fret not, another millions are facing similar fate. Oh well, a few hundred fellow passengers then ... No big deal??