There’s been a terrible haze over Guam the last few days. The first I noticed it was last Thursday when I kept cleaning my glasses thinking they were dirty. Then when it got thicker, I thought maybe it was the local trash dump on fire.
Turns out it’s pollution from China. And like the linked article states, China is one big conveyor belt of polluted air. The last two days in Guam have been awful ~ so bad that I cancelled my weekly golf outing because I can’t stand to be outside. It’s smelly and makes my nose itch. The air even tastes bad.
A lot of people pooh-pooh global warming BUT I see nothing wrong with trying to clean up large polluting cities so “innocent” countries don’t have to deal with the fall-out. I really didn’t expect the pollution of China, which is two thousand miles away, to affect me here in Guam and it’s been quite disturbing to contemplate how the actions of others has such a big impact on the rest of the world.
From what I’ve read, the Chinese government is making a sincere attempt to clean up their cities especially in Beijing, where the air pollution index is highest and where the Olympic will be held in 2008. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope they get it right.
Displaced Beachbums 
Ann: thank for the information ~ I hadn’t heard of the “yellow dust” problem that you have in Korea. I think the haze we’re experiencing here in Guam is SMOG. It looks and smells just like Los Angeles on a hazy, hot summer day. According to the Guam EPA, they don’t have the equipment to test the particles but their best guess is it’s auto exhaust, wood burning exhaust and, probably has sulfur gases which is all coming from China and, parts of Russia. Lovely!
Our haze warning has been extended through Saturday and is expected to return again next week when the winds follow the same pattern as last week.
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Hi-
We are stationed in Seoul, Korea and have the same stuff. “Yellow Dust” comes every spring. It orginates in the deserts of Mongolia and China. This year is suspose to be the worse one recorded due to low moisture levels in the deserts. The dust level here are closely monitored by not only the Korean govt. but also our own US Army medcom. If levels are too high we are advised to stay indoors and all school and military related outdoor activities are cancelled. Pink eye runs rampant when yellow dust season is here. Also, bronchitis and sinus infections are very popular! For us here on the Korean pennisula the season can run through May but the Monsoon season in June takes care ot it. . . we just have to wait until the rains! Is it normal for Guam to get this every spring? Are the particles monitored? My advise is to definitly stay indoors if the levels are high. . . bad, bad stuff! I’ll try and find the link to the 18th MEDCOM advisory and email it to you too.
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