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I just thought today was another hazy day. But what is haze? Well, in Los Angeles it was due to sand from the desert (dry haze). I never thought it could happen here since Japan is so lush and surrounded by water. I just assumed it was (wet haze). Well, learn something new every day. The haze is from China! Yellow sand travels all the way here to cause all kinds of problems.The following is an editorial article from The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 6 ——— East Asia must unite against yellow sand We cannot afford to consider yellow sand a mere phenomena of spring. Yellow sand comes from deserts in China, mainly in its interior, where it is picked up by winds and often makes the sky hazy in East Asia. The occurrences of both yellow sand and sandstorms has been increasing in scale and frequency, and renewed record highs in their arrival in Japan in the three years between 2000 and 2002. While its arrival is expected to peak this month as usual, yellow sand has already been observed in various parts of the country. As of the end of last month, 100 sightings had been recorded at observation points. Yellow sand has wrought unexpected damage. In 2002, airline flights were disrupted due to poor visibility caused by sandstorms. The sand also infiltrated chip-making plants, ruining computer chips, which do not like dust. The situation is more severe in China, which is closer to where the sandstorms originate, as well as South Korea. There are reports of deaths caused by lung problems brought on by yellow sand, and there are concerns about the long-term health hazard that minerals in the sand may present to the lungs. For this reason, schools in South Korea close when a high density of yellow sand in the air is expected. === Cooperation vital
Yellow sand is an environmental problem that affects a wide area of East Asia. According to an Environment Ministry report, sandstorms in South Korea are considered a “meteorological disaster.” Japan, China and South Korea must cooperate in dealing with the problem, including reaching an agreement on the health hazards yellow sand constitutes. Yellow sand originates in arid zones such as the Taklamakan Desert and the Huangtu Plateau in China. Sand and other particles are wafted up by seasonal winds to an altitude of several thousand meters and spread over parts of China, South Korea and even Japan. In their passage over China, sandstorms pick up various pollutants–including agrochemicals–which eventually fall in other countries, including Japan. The increase in the occurrence of yellow sand is primarily due to the environmental degradation of areas where the yellow sand originates. An increase in livestock being put out to pasture has led to a decrease of grasslands, eroding the soil. There has also been an acceleration of desertification in the areas. The Chinese government announced last year that thanks to measures such as afforestation projects, desertification had stopped for the first time since the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949. Yet as much as 27 percent of China is now desert. Even in those areas where countermeasures have been taken, desertification continues. In Beijing, the desert has come close to city areas, encroaching by 20 to 30 meters a year. === Japan should take lead
China plans to continue its efforts to counter desertification. Japan, as a country on the lee side of the sandstorms, needs to cooperate with China in technical aspects. As desertification is accelerating also in other countries, including Mongolia, Japan needs to extend its cooperation to these countries as well. When it comes to yellow sand, there are many things that need to be clarified. We need to learn all the details about how yellow sand occurs and determine the effect it has on the environment. Headway in establishing a network of observations is making progress in a number of countries including China, thanks to cooperation from Japan. It is necessary to gain a thorough understanding of yellow sand and sandstorms and establish effective countermeasures.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 6) (Apr. 6, 2006)
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