Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Forman
As bad as it might be in China, no one has to wear a gas mask to survive.
Not really true given the nature of the problem. Different age groups, genetics, predispositions, and other aspects all come into play. For some people, it may seriously shorten their life, for others it may not be a problem, for some they may not be able to survive in that environment due to the conditions. My dad couldn't survive in the southwest desert due to the fungal infections caused by all the dust that gets stirred up, due to construction and population moving about. Other pollutants and irritants in the air made it worse. He had to move away to "survive".
Point is, this is happening in some of the most densely populated parts of the world and where pollutants and dust is "trapped" by an inversion layer. Air quality in Phoenix, Bakersfield, a few other places on the east coast- is bad and getting worse. If you've ever flown into these places, you can see it for yourself.
Lots of people in China wear masks. They also tell you not to go out an exercise in the high-ozone conditions in Phoenix.