Windswept Mount Shasta, August 2008

If two or three typhoons are churning their way towards Beijing, how many butterflies have been flapping their wings way out in the middle of the China Sea?

Don’t mind me, folks, I’m just pondering the Butterfly Effect—how something as imperciptible as a butterfly’s wings can set into motion such a huge turbulence, that, by the time it moves through the atmosphere and reaches the shore, it’s a full blown typhoon. The phenomenon is also known as the Ripple Effect.

Speaking of ripples, as you can see by the cloud patterns, we got a windy day here on the western slopes of Mount Shasta. I’m feeling mighty good—breathing clean air and enjoying the views. Why not have a free greeting card on me? Just click for Chris, your friendly, neighborhood expert on SendOutCards. One little click could set into motion the best butterfly effect of your life. And I’m not kidding, either.

Moving on. There are as many as three typhoons headed towards Beijing. According to Guo Hu, director of the Beijing Meteorological Observatory, an official weather forecast for Opening Ceremonies will be provided August 6th. The good news is, rain could clean up the air. But here’s the real question, folks: Is that air in need of one, two or three typhoons?

Check-out the same view in Beijing on a clear day and a smoggy day: Just like I said awhile back, there could be a burning mountain behind that layer of gray crud.

Independent sensor readings and photographs taken in Beijing tell us that efforts to clean up the city’s air just aren’t working, at least as of yesterday they weren’t. Today, there are some reports that the air is better, hopefully enough better that the Bird’s Nest (Chinese Olympic Stadium) in this gray picture will shine like it’s supposed to.

Actually, you can check out the ongoing pollution for yourself. There is a real-time, alien’s-eye-view of Beijing (WunderMap) complements of Beijing Airblog. See what you think.

I’ll tell you what I think, though. It’s going to be very difficult to clean up Beijing’s air, especially with all the recent Olympic construction and 2006 dust storms.

Plus it’s Summer there—stinky hot and wet as a dish rag—a very nasty combo that often gives rise to temperature inversions. Being from the South, I’m very familiar with late Summer temperature inversions. We call ‘em the ‘Dog Days‘; and we mope around with hang-dog expressions. We do not, I repeat do not go outside until the sun goes down, much less exercise in the heat of the day. That’s just pure suicide!

Laura signing off.

p.s. Here’s a scientific illustration of temp inversions. Oh yea, did I mention how they trap automobile exhaust.