Fewer sandstorms give hope for cleaner air
<p><span word="Get">Get</span> <span word="Flash">Flash</span> <span word="Player">Player</span></p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="depressing">depressing</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="subjected">subjected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="pollution">pollution</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="Health">Health</span> <span word="Organization">Organization</span> <span word="standards">standards</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="harmful">harmful</span> <span word="particles">particles</span>, <span word="PM">PM</span>2.5, <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> 20 <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="recommended">recommended</span> <span word="maximum">maximum</span> <span word="safe">safe</span> <span word="level">level</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stratospheric">stratospheric</span> <span word="measurements">measurements</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="Embassy">Embassy</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="iPhone">iPhone</span> <span word="app">app</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="alarm">alarm</span> <span word="bells">bells</span> <span word="until">until</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="benchmark">benchmark</span> <span word="of">of</span> 200 <span word="is">is</span> <span word="reached">reached</span>. <span word="Pollution">Pollution</span> <span word="masks">masks</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="expensive">expensive</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="filters">filters</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="increasingly">increasingly</span> <span word="visible">visible</span> <span word="everyday">everyday</span> <span word="fashion">fashion</span> <span word="accessory">accessory</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="foreigners">foreigners</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span>. <span word="Yet">Yet</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="folks">folks</span> <span word="relocate">relocate</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="so">so</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="sandstorms">sandstorms</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="hope">hope</span>!</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="decade">decade</span> <span word="ago">ago</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="dreaded">dreaded</span> <span word="springtime">springtime</span>, <span word="normally">normally</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="favorite">favorite</span> <span word="season">season</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="wasn">wasn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="winds">winds</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="bowl">bowl</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="over">over</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sandstorms">sandstorms</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="invariably">invariably</span> <span word="accompanied">accompanied</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="blasts">blasts</span>, <span word="blocked">blocked</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="passages">passages</span>, <span word="buffed">buffed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shiny">shiny</span> <span word="finishes">finishes</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="cars">cars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="caused">caused</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="wear">wear</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="sorts">sorts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="coverings">coverings</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Halloween">Halloween</span> <span word="horror">horror</span> <span word="movie">movie</span>.</p><p><span word="There">There</span> <span word="haven">haven</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="appreciable">appreciable</span> <span word="sandstorms">sandstorms</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="years">years</span>. <span word="While">While</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="suffer">suffer</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="air">air</span>-<span word="pocalypse">pocalypse</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="haven">haven</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="recently">recently</span> <span word="fallen">fallen</span> <span word="victim">victim</span> <span word="to">to</span> "<span word="sand">sand</span>-<span word="ageddon">ageddon</span>" <span word="as">as</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="tabloids">tabloids</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="earlier">earlier</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="sand">sand</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Sahara">Sahara</span> <span word="desert">desert</span>, 3,000 <span word="kilometers">kilometers</span> <span word="away">away</span>, <span word="covered">covered</span> <span word="cars">cars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="alike">alike</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span>.</p><p><span word="There">There</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="prodigious">prodigious</span> <span word="winds">winds</span> <span word="recently">recently</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="blew">blew</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="over">over</span>, <span word="no">no</span> <span word="easy">easy</span> <span word="task">task</span>. <span word="Yet">Yet</span>, <span word="remarkably">remarkably</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="couldn">couldn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="detect">detect</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="grain">grain</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="sand">sand</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="reason">reason</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="am">am</span> <span word="hopeful">hopeful</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="result">result</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="accident">accident</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="due">due</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="governmental">governmental</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="scientific">scientific</span> <span word="experts">experts</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="reversed">reversed</span> <span word="desertification">desertification</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="previously">previously</span> <span word="green">green</span> <span word="areas">areas</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="reclaimed">reclaimed</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="planting">planting</span> <span word="trees">trees</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="grasses">grasses</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="using">using</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="ingenious">ingenious</span> <span word="homegrown">homegrown</span> <span word="methods">methods</span>.</p>
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