GeoLog

air pollution

Spring, Summer, Winter…Haze?

Spring, Summer, Winter…Haze?

Around the world, societies have many different ways to define the seasons, but for most people a season is identified by a set of culturally specified events, such as the arrival of migratory birds, certain anticipated weather patterns, or a range of expected temperatures. Over recent years many studies have examined the various ways that anthropogenic climate change has affected the way that our ...[Read More]

GeoTalk: Meet Mengze Li, atmospheric chemist and the Atmospheric Sciences Division’s Early Career Scientist Representative

GeoTalk: Meet Mengze Li, atmospheric chemist and the Atmospheric Sciences Division’s Early Career Scientist Representative

Hi Mengze, thank you for spending your time with us today. Could you tell our readers a little about yourself? Hi Simon, thanks for the interview today. I’m happy to tell more about myself. I was born in China, lived and studied there until I finished my Bachelor’s study. After that I went to Germany for Master’s and doctoral degrees. Last year I have finished my PhD at Max Planck Institute for Ch ...[Read More]

An overnight train view of China’s Anthropocene – Part 2

An overnight train view of China’s Anthropocene – Part 2

Science fiction is no match for industrial non-stop China. Electric bikes zip across the cities of Shanghai and Beijing, and soundtrack the neon nights with their passing whirr. Here, some kind of two-wheeled revolution has taken place which are we completely unaware of in the West. It’s Blade Runner meets Total Recall in a future which has already come to pass. The very existence of our ele ...[Read More]

An overnight train view of China’s Anthropocene – Part 1

An overnight train view of China’s Anthropocene – Part 1

The nighttrain from Shanghai to Beijing is a comfortable affair. The train is new and clean. My travel partner and I can charge our phones and relax on soft beds. The railway is almost frictionless, and overall the experience is similar to any ride in the West. But outside, as the vehicle roars through the early night, things become increasingly hazy. As we reach further out from the Shanghai metr ...[Read More]