An apocalyptic sandstorm in China

The largest and strongest dust storm in a decade swept across northern China, grounding hundreds of flights, closing schools and casting a ghastly shroud over tens of millions of people.

Three forces — a late-winter storm, a post-Covid industrial rebound and the continued impact of climate change — combined to create a dangerous, suffocating pall of pollution across the country. The storm reached from Xinjiang in the far west across to the Bohai Sea, according to China’s meteorological service. The storm was a reminder of “airpocalypses” that the country routinely experienced years ago, forcing the government to crack down on emissions.

“I couldn’t see the building across the street,” said Wang Wei, a 23-year-old who recently moved to Beijing from Henan, a province in central China. “I didn’t think the sky could be this yellow.”

Context: The Communist Party has made strides in reducing pollution, with President Xi Jinping repeatedly calling for a “green revolution” in China’s economy. But since the pandemic, officials have prioritized economic development again. Environmental groups were hoping that specific government proposals would emerge from recent top-level meetings on the country’s five-year plan.
The New York Times
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