How dirty is the air in Beijing? “Beyond index” hazardous, for one. It also looks just nasty. The photos below paint a very hazy and unpleasant picture. The pollution this winter in China’s capital city is in stark contrast to the winter view here in Tokyo, where the cool air and winter air patterns sweep the city sky of haze and fumes leading to beautiful views of the skyline (as can be seen in the last two pictures below) and Mount Fuji.

What strikes me about the Beijing pictures is how low to the ground the pollution permeates. This is a stark reminder of where unchecked use of the unsustainable energy sources we are currently burning to fuel modern society can lead.

Tokyo