Beijing air forces cancellation of hundreds of flights

Chinese authorities insist that the murk is just fog, with only a slight trace of pollution. But at the U.S. Embassy, which is equipped with its own air monitor,the index of fine particulate matter had soared to 522 micrograms per cubic meter (anything over 300 is considered crazy high). From the LAT:

Beijingers bought more than 20,000 face masks on Taobao, a shopping website; and people took to the Internet to mock their own government's reporting of air quality. "They are treating citizens as idiots," complained a young man on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like microblog. A middle-aged man wrote sarcastically, "The city looks like a fairyland but thanks to the government, it is only 'slight pollution.' " After improving briefly, the air quality worsened again late Tuesday and hundreds more flights were canceled or delayed.

The airport is apparently a mess, with flights being canceled or delayed. All this is another reminder - as if we needed one - that unbridled growth comes at a cost. By the way, I believe the Villaraigosa trade mission is in Beijing today - wonder whether they'll be able to get out. The Times story didn't say.