Re: China, GM crops, pollution, WSJ article

From: GBurch1@aol.com
Date: Sun Apr 02 2000 - 16:22:16 MDT


In a message dated 3/29/00 11:34:23 PM Central Standard Time,
ml@justintime.com writes:

> While the WSJ article didn't mention it, I've also been reading
> (articles in New Scientist, again, I can't find URLs) and hearing (from
> people who have visited China recently) that atmospheric pollution is
> becoming a major agricultural problem. Supposedly smog is dense and
> pervasive even in the countryside to the extent that crops are
> suffering from decreased sunlight. One striking passage claimed that
> in Shenyang (I believe the largest Chinese city north of Beijing, in
> China's northeastern "rust belt") snow is black before it hits the
> ground due to atmospheric coal dust.

When I was there many (many, many) years ago, the sun "set" quite a few
degrees above the horizon, settling into what appeared to be a permanent
level of coal smog that hovered over the ground. The Chinese economy has
grown quite a bit since then, and I don't imagine they're doing any better
now in keeping their air clean.

       Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
      Attorney ::: Vice President, Extropy Institute ::: Wilderness Guide
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