Smog Control: Ban Fireworks?

[Doug]

Bridges and dams here in the U.S. are in a deplorable state of disrepair. About six months before the I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis/St. Paul, I was part of a team of writers/reporters working on a story for PBS. My part of the assignment involved investigating dams and bridges in a four state area that included Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. What I discovered was truly horrifying. Even more troublesome was the fact that what I found out was pretty much reflective of what others found in across the board. If we don't take measures to rectify this, things are going to get very dicey. It's not so much a case of bad construction. Many of these bridges and just about all of the dams were well-built, but they are just plain too old.

Hard for me to tip-toe around this, politically speaking. I learned real fast on a city council that the majority of the problems and expense should be street, water, & a little on trash issues. My whole life I have been upset one thing after the other from our fed Govt getting involved in things I didn't feel like they should and overspending mine or my parents money. Govt. is just basics, or it should be, IMO. So while we debate all the recent political themes over in CFV, the basics have been ignored for a very long time. So there will be an excuse to ..... raise our taxes.

 

it's kind of funny. In a small town like mine, you see real quick how an elected is a servant doing what many consider managing low life work. Gosh wouldn't it be great, and less strain on our pocket book if we could go back simple - Federally speaking?

 

I'll probably get deleated now......

[Mick]

My intention in saying what I did was not to start any kind of political debate, but instead, merely point out that just as China faces infrastructure problems, perhaps ours are even worse. Doug, I am sure your intention was not to sidetrack this discussion, just as I didn't mean that. So fellas, and ladies, let's just keep the politics out of it. That can be discussed over on the other board that Doug mentioned.

[Mick]

 

 

I'm not sure how an exploding bomb like a fireworks truck can be prevented.

Having worked on a profesional pyro crew for over 15 years, I can give a little insight. Black powder fireworks are very sensitive to static charges something so minor as sliding a box across a truck bed can set off a shell. Once one goes off, the whole lot goes up in a chain reaction. Usually if you here of a crew meeting with disaster, it is due to mishandling of a box leading to disaster. Because of this, DOT has strict guidlines about the transport of fireworks as to how the are boxed and even what major bridges they can be carried over. In 2006, while eating breakfast in Beijing, I watched 2 men unloading gas cylinders from a flatbed truck. They would let the cylinders drop off the side about 5 feet, bouncing off the pavement. I cringed everytime I watched this happen. I can't say how the fireworks were stacked for transport, but if care wasn't taken it would be easy to create a hazard.

As for my comment on the bridge failures, as Mick stated, yes there are many bridges in bad shape here, but we are talking about much older struckures. Here in NYC bridges range up to over 100 years old. The subway is over 100. Is SF, both the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge are 75 years old. If these are not maintained properly you will have problems. Much of China's infrastructure is much younger than that. If structurs are failing only after say 10 years or 20 years, there is something more wrong than just poor maintanance.

I would agree with what you say completely about the problems in China being the result of something more than just aging or proper care. Most of those structures are relatively new. As came to light after the 2008 earthquake, shoddy building materials and poor construction practices were often to blame for the collapse of buildings, bridges, etc. Our problems are mostly due to aging.

Edited February 3, 2013 by Mick (see edit history)

[Fu Lai]

back on topic...

 

 

Index to ensure safety, reduce pollution

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20130206/00221917dead127bd16102.jpg

A man buys fi reworks at a certifi ed store in Beijing in preparation for the upcoming Spring Festival. Sales of fi reworks started on Tuesday at 1,337 certifi ed stores across the city. [CAO BOYUAN / FOR CHINA DAILY]

Beijing weather authorities issued a firework index for the first time on Tuesday to ensure safety and reduce pollution, as sales of fireworks for Spring Festival started at 1,337 certified stores citywide.

The index, which includes three grades, gives suggestions whether conditions outdoors are suitable for fireworks.

The public can check the index by calling a hotline run by the capital's meteorological department or reading its micro blog.

The Beijing Meteorological Bureau issued a "Grade 1" firework index on Tuesday, which means the weather conditions are suitable for setting off fireworks

The index will be released every day throughout the Lunar New Year holiday, according to the bureau.

Spring Festival is traditionally the most important festival in China and is the peak season for fireworks sales.

The index is based on a variety of weather conditions, including wind speed, humidity and precipitation, and is designed to ensure safety and reduce pollution caused by fireworks, said Ding Deping, an official at Beijing Metrological Bureau.

"Setting off fireworks or firecrackers will not be safe when there are strong winds or low humidity, because it can easily cause a fire," he told Beijing Times. "But when there is no wind at all, setting off fireworks is not appropriate either, as the pollutants released will not be dispersed quickly and can worsen smog."

In January, Beijing was hit by the worst hazy weather in decades. The city had only five smog-free days last month.

The prolonged haze has alerted the public, and many urged the government to limit or even ban setting off fireworks on hazy days.

Authorities have enhanced monitoring and inspections of fireworks distributors to ensure safety, according to the Beijing Administration of Work Safety.

At least 10 people died on Friday when a truck loaded with fireworks exploded and caused part of a highway bridge to collapse in Henan province.

"Safety is the biggest concern for us," said Xiao Hong, owner of a certified fireworks store in Beijing.

"Besides me, all my three assistants have finished a day's training organized by Beijing Administration of Work Safety and passed the test before opening the store," she said.

Xiao said she sold about 2,000 yuan ($321) worth of fireworks and firecrackers on Tuesday morning.

"Although sales were not bad, I am worried this year the total sales may go down because of air pollution reports and safety problems."

Li Zhiqiang, another shop owner in Beijing, said security inspections were more strict this year.

"About eight groups of inspection teams, including police officers, work safety officials and firefighters, came to my shop in the morning, and inspected every corner," he said, adding that he installed a real-time communication system, which includes a camera and two speakers, to link the store to Beijing Administration of Work Safety.

"In this way, the work safety department can monitor the store, and we can report to the department immediately if any danger occurs," Li said.

[Fu Lai]

Well we were graced with a very clear night, you could see all across the city. By 1am the city looked like a power failure hit because all the fireworks smoke completely blotted out the lights of downtown. Amazing.

[Urkidding]

Seen from an airplane landing this new years in Beijing -

 

http://youtu.be/aggEodEooBk

 

According to released data from the Beijing municipal environmental protection monitoring center at 23:00 on the night of Chinese new year's eve at Feb 10, air quality level of Beijing city is more than five "heavily polluted " or six " serious pollution", PM2.5 is still the leading pollution, although many people have consciously reduced discharging of fireworks on New Year's Eve,

[ameriken]

Yet we've all seen pics like this of how how bad it was recently, even before the NY.

 

China needs to put some emphasis on more than just fireworks.

 

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/shang_shanghaiist/beijing-smog.jpg