I have a chapter in my book about air quality. I never dreamed it
would come to this, Don:
Huge Dust Plumes
From China Cause
Changes in Climate
July 20, 2007; Page B1
One of the many science fiction books I have read over the years (I think
it was by John Brunner and written in the early 60s) starts with
scientists releasing a traceable agent into the atmosphere in
Singapore. The agent was detected in San Francisco and convinced
scientists in the story that the atmosphere was saturated with pollution.
Over one billion people in a country with much open land and few
enforceable environmental laws is bound to generate significant pollution
that till travel well beyond its borders.
One of the reasons we had a light hurricane season last year is dust from
the Sahara Desert drought blowing out over the Atlantic and keeping sea
surface and air temperatures low. Rains this year are keeping some of the
dust in check.