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What a Difference a Year Makes: Breathing in Beijing

Share / Recommend - Comment - Print - Saturday, Aug 02 2008, 3:28PM

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August Beijing Sky TWN.jpg
(photo credit: Michael McDermott)

My friend Michael McDermott runs the largest foreign film production operation in Beijing, Gung Ho Films, and he sent me this photo that he took on August 1st in Beijing.

I have to admit that the air 'looks' good -- which may bode well for the Olympic Games.

(photo credit: James Fallows)

But I am reminded of what it could have looked like in this photo that James Fallows sent me last year and which I posted on July 27, 2007.

What a difference a year can make. . .perhaps. Let's see how things turn out when the games start.

-- Steve Clemons

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Reader Comments (3) - post a comment

Posted by Scott Paul, Aug 02 2008, 3:53PM - Link

It does look good -- but August 1 was a Friday, the day of the
week when the rains come due to cloud seeding. If this was taken
before the rains, though, that would represent a dramatic
improvement.

Posted by PissedOffAmerican, Aug 02 2008, 9:04PM - Link

I have it on good authority that the smog didn't actually dissappear. The truth is that the Chinese have invented a way to can it, and its currently on a container ship bound for the US, in cases labeled as "Texas Chili".

Posted by justaguy, Aug 04 2008, 1:42AM - Link

I've been in Beijing since July - there have been a few good days after the rain. I even saw a couple of stars in the sky one night! But its back to being pretty thick with smog right now - today its about halfway between the two pictures you posted.