For those who haven't yet clicked the link, it's a map of the amount of microparticles present in the earth's atmosphere, as estimated by satellite data from NASA. That little dark brown blob in the center left of China? That's where we are - pretty much the flat part of Sichuan province, ringed by mountains so that the pollution stays around instead of going somewhere else.
Why so high? An abundance of coal, a lot of factories making stuff for Americans, and a whole lot of people that want an American standard of living. In the next decade or two, will China start farming out its pollution to other places in the world like we did? Or will the world run out of options?
Besides the Sahara, it looks like Indians in the shadow of the Himalayas and the Ganges River Basin are living a similar fate. It is remarkable to see that just West of Chengdu the air seems to be clear of all particulates. No doubt this is a result of the rising topography as well, but it makes a trip to Qing Chen Shan all the more welcoming.
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