CUC Near Higher Pollution Area

I found a website that maps pollution in Beijing and gives a pollution forecast for the next three days, BeijingAir. It has an archive that begins the day we arrived, July 8.

I compared the map of our location at the Communication University of China and at first thought we were in one of the worst spots for pollution. We're actually a little to the east, outside the 5th ring road, and the bad spot on the east part of the city is right around the 4th ring road.

Here's a map of Beijing with the CUC flagged.












Here's a view of the worst day of pollution since we arrived, July 11. Red is the second worst level on the scale.












Here's a view of the best air quality we've had since arriving, July 24. This turquoise is the second best color on the scale.












The pollution map archives are a bit confusing to me as I have pictures of the sky and of the view from my dorm room from every day since July 10 and the clarity of the sky doesn't always match up with the pollution map. There have been some "clear" days according the to the archives, but we saw them as still white or grey and misty. I don't know if that's just humidity and the climate here and not actually smog or if the maps are incorrect.

There are some definite correlations, though. The day we had bluebird skies at the Great Wall also had a clear map in the archive. The overall trend toward cleaner skies, with a bump along the road the end of this past week, is reflected as well.

I also just read an article about how so much of the pollution comes from outside of the Beijing province. So Beijing's restrictions on cars (alternating odd and even licensed cars on the road each day) and mandatory factory closures can only do so much. The article ends with the hope that clear Mongolian air from the North will blow in and bring clear skies!

Read Outlook for Air Quality in Beijing for Olympics is Borderline.