Are Chinese Factories Poisoning Southern Europeans? | Focus on Europe

Dec 16, 2023 | For China, the Balkans are the entry point to Europe, meaning that China is active in many industrial projects in this region. Chinese-owned companies run local factories, and are involved in coal power stations. But some of these endeavors seem to leave the environment and people’s health worse off. Our reporters want to find out more about China’s footprint in the Balkans.

Belgrade: The City Where Dirty Air Is Seen as a ‘Consequence of Economic Growth’

THE GUARDIAN – EUROPE: Critics decry lack of political will in Serbian capital to clean polluted air that residents say they can ‘feel and taste’

When the Yugoslav prime minister Džemal Bijedić promised to clean the country’s air at a conference in Belgrade in 1974, a reporter from the New York Times wrote that there was little hope of early relief for the city’s residents, who felt the pollution was getting worse. “The choking, sulphurous atmosphere of Belgrade and several other major Yugoslav cities reddens eyes, shreds nylon stockings and ruins pianissimo passages in the concert hall because of the nearly continuous coughing it causes in audiences,” the writer said.

Half a century later, residents of Belgrade are still holding their breath. “I have asthma and it’s killing me,” says Dejan, 40, a graffiti artist and MC who runs a paint shop in the industrial Palilula district. “It’s not smog, man, it’s a black fog. You cannot see.”

The air in the capital of Serbia, a country of 7 million people in line to join the EU, is worse than in almost any other city in Europe. Belgrade is home to five of the 15 most polluted districts on the continent, Guardian analysis of modelling based on European air quality data has revealed. Foul coal plants, vast landfills, old vehicles and bad heaters spew a cocktail of toxic particles that land in the lungs and veins of the city’s residents. » | Ajit Niranjan in Belgrade | Friday, September 22, 2023

‘An Utter Disgrace’: 90% of England’s Most Precious River Habitats Blighted by Raw Sewage and Farming Pollution

THE OBSERVER: Observer investigation reveals the shocking state of the country’s protected freshwater sites of special scientific interest

The River Eden in Cumbria has 35 stretches of water that are protected habitats, but none of them are in favourable condition. Photograph: John Morrison/Alamy
More than 90% of freshwater habitats on England’s most precious rivers are in unfavourable condition, blighted by farming pollution, raw sewage and water abstraction, an Observer investigation reveals.

None of the approximately 40 rivers with protected habitats in England are in overall good health, according to an analysis of government inspection reports. These include the River Avon in Hampshire, the Wensum in Norfolk and the Eden in Cumbria. » | Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Maximilian Jenz | Saturday, August 12, 2023

Should we be surprised? When a government puts profit above all else, why should we be surpised when that government turns the country shitty? There’s one simple solution: Kick the turds out of office! – © Mark Alexander

Paris Car Ban Starts After Pollution Hits High

BBC: Hundreds of police are monitoring traffic in Paris after pollution levels prompted the French government to impose major restrictions.

Only motorists whose cars have odd-numbered registration plates are allowed to drive.

On Tuesday, if the restrictions remain in place, it will be the turn of those with even-numbered plates.

Ministers acted after air pollution exceeded safe levels for five days running in Paris and surrounding areas.

The smoggy conditions have been caused by a combination of cold nights and warm days, which have prevented pollution from dispersing. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, March 17, 2014

It's Like "Swimming in a Toilet"!
A noxious tide of toilet paper, raw sewage and chemical waste has transformed Dubai’s most prestigious stretch of shoreline into a foul-smelling health hazard.

A stretch of the exclusive Jumeirah Beach — a magnet for Western tourists and home to a string of hotels — has been closed. “It’s a cesspool. Our tests show too many E. coli to count. It’s like swimming in a toilet,” said Keith Mutch, the manager of the Offshore Sailing Club, which has posted warnings and been forced to cancel regattas.The pollution is a blow to Dubai’s reputation as an international holiday destination offering almost guaranteed sunshine and clear seas. Sun, Sea and Sewage in the Playground of the Rich in Dubai >>> Sonia Verma in Dubai | Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

Umweltverschmutzung in China führt zu Massensterben

Foto von Chinas Umweltverschmutzung dank der Welt

WELTONLINE: In China geraten die Folgeschäden des rasanten Wirtschaftswachstums außer Kontrolle: Knapp eine halbe Million Menschen sterben jährlich an den Folgen verseuchter Luft und verschmutzten Trinkwassers. Aus Furcht vor Unruhen verhindert Peking die Veröffentlichung detaillierter Daten zu Todesfällen.

Chinas Bevölkerung zahlt einen hohen Preis für den Aufstieg des Landes zur Werkbank der Welt. Einer Studie der Weltbank zufolge sterben jährlich etwa 460.000 Chinesen an der Folgen der Umweltverschmutzung.

16 der 20 weltweit am stärksten verschmutzten Städte liegen in China. Die massive Umweltverschmutzung hat Krebs zur häufigsten Todesursache in städtischen Gebieten gemacht. Die Zahl der Krebserkrankungen stieg 2006 in den Städten um 20 Prozent. Rund 350.000 bis 400.000 vorzeitige Todesfälle allein in Chinas Städten werden auf die Luftverschmutzung zurückgeführt. Massensterben durch Umweltverschmutzung (mehr)

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
Choking on Pollution in India

Mark Alexander