Audio Postcard: Smoggy Streets Of Shanghai

Published December 11, 2013 at 1:45 PM EST

NPR’s Frank Langfitt brings Here & Now an audio postcard from the streets of Shanghai.

Last week, the smog in Shanghai, China, reached hazardous levels. On Friday, smog set records in Shanghai. The Air Quality Index soared over 600, which is officially “beyond index,” or off-the-charts awful.

And on Saturday morning, there was essentially a smog white-out, according to Langfitt. Visibility was down to about 40 feet.

The environmental authority got sick of putting out so many air-quality alerts that they decided to simply adjust the standards downward so there would not be as many.

Reporter

Frank Langfitt, NPR’s Shanghai correspondent. He tweets @franklangfitt.

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