4 chapters across the catalog
China Nuclear Energy, Fukushima Geiger Counter, Smog
China is moving aggressively toward nuclear energy to solve its smog and energy security issues. Meanwhile, the hosts debunk a viral video claiming to show Fukushima radiation on a California beach, explaining that the Geiger counter readings were likely caused by naturally occurring radioactive minerals in local rocks.
Earl Blumenauer China Comments, EPA Pollution Standards
Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon is criticized for praising Chinese emission standards during a speech on the Clean Air Act. Critics point to the extreme smog levels in Chinese cities and the white skies depicted in local art as evidence that China is not a valid model for environmental cleanliness.
Beijing Air Quality and Global Travel Observations
Official reports from the Beijing Olympics describe the heavy grey haze over the city as "mist," though observers characterize it as industrial smog. Historical Chinese art often depicts white skies rather than blue, suggesting a long-standing environmental or artistic tradition. Recent travel photos from Mongolia and Tibet show distinct cloud formations and clear skies, contrasting with the overcast conditions in industrial China.
Satellite imagery reveals massive clouds of industrial smog and pollution drifting from China across the Pacific Ocean, heavily affecting air quality in South Korea. The pollution is described as a thick, grimy substance reminiscent of 1960s Los Angeles smog that occasionally reaches as far as the California coast.
