China’s Snow Crisis
[AP Photo/EyePress]
Last year I often bought vegetables at this outdoor market in Loudi. Yesterday it snowed so much there that the market completely collapsed.
The harsh winter storms that have ravished China in recent days are the worst that country has seen in five decades. And these record snowfalls couldn’t have come at a worse time … it’s currently Spring Festival, a time when millions of people travel home to be with their families.
The transportation industry was hit particularly hard … snow and ice have crippled railway lines and highways, killing dozens of people and stranding over half a million at the Guangzhou railway station (and millions more around the country). Even more dangerous, however, are the effects to China’s food supply … if things don’t improve soon, the delicate system that feeds 1.3 billion people could be severely impacted.
Hunan is right in the middle of it all … troops have been deployed, workers have been killed, celebrations have been cancelled, and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiaobao even traveled to the Changsha train station to reassure stranded travelers.
I’ve received several emails from friends who are stuck, missing their families, or just plain freezing their tails off. And my heart goes out to them … the frigid winter and crazy travel I experienced last year must pale in comparison to what they’re going through right now. I’ll tell you one thing … I won’t be complaining about the weather here in Ohio this winter!
January 30th, 2008 at 9:16 pm EST
They had 8 inches of snow in Jerusalem, and people are freezing in the mid-Eastern deserts.
Where is Al Gore when you really need him?
February 1st, 2008 at 10:22 am EST
Sorry I wasn’t online last morning … before I got up, my apartment was out of power. Actually we are having a power crisis even water shortage in some particular areas. The climate changes dramatically. We had the hottest summer in 2007, and now we are experiencing the “coolest” winter. I was not in the mood to make snow angel this year, instead, I drew one in snow.