Seeing this striking photo from the AP, I thought, “Beijing!” Not the Olympic controversy, but the air we breathed when we were there. I bet it’s back to that level of pollution after the Olympics.
The photo is from Hungary and the cyclist is reacting to Hungary’s first smog alert.
Photo credit: AP/ Bela Szandelszky
Surprisingly, no, the air pollution hasn’t returned to previously horrifically bad levels. Check out the Asia Society’s daily look out the window (with accompanying air quality index).