A Breath of Fresh Beijing

The problems go well beyond Tibet. The Chinese government is warning citizens with respiratory problems to "stay indoors". Rather than admitting that there is a serious smog problem, the Chinese instead blame it on the Gobi desert.

"Air quality in the capital was rated as "heavily polluted" due to a sandstorm from Mongolia, the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau said on its website."

Sandstorms do not count as pollution. It counts as a sandstorm. Even though countless athletes have dropped out of the Olympics citing potential long-term health problems that could result from competing in Beijing, China has been busy coming up with solutions to calm those worries.

"Attempts to counter the threat by weather manipulation are also reliant on accurate forecasts. Beijing authorities have claimed some success in stopping rain over limited areas by firing chemicals into clouds."

Really? So, they're shooting chemicals into the clouds to clean up the air quality and that makes sense to them. Okay, China...