Pollution in Taiwan can be bad; it is true. However, for those of you who have been away from North America for a while, things have changed. Dry summers have equalled summer fires almost everywhere. This.means very poor or quality for a significant part of the summer. Welcome to the brave new world where the previously “pristine” air of Canada is pretty bad.
Today in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (it was so bad it reminded me of when we lived in China):
What bothers me about air quality in Taiwan is that the government does not really seem to be taking action against the “low hanging fruits”.
Not much you can do about air quality if it’s caused by forest fires. But burning paper money in times of bad pollution, high dependence on coal power and many gas scooters on the roads all seen somewhat avoidable with a little more commitment…
Yeah, I get it and agree. However, it doesn’t really change the health implications and difficulty of living in it, no matter the source. If everything goes according to plan, it is our last summer here (in Winnipeg) anyways. After that we will not have to worry about this anymore …
Maybe then I will join in on the Taiwan air quality complaints!
I’ve mentioned that it’s somewhat unfair to compare Taiwan to other places, the population is so heavily concentrated in Taiwan compared to most countries. It’s going to cause pollution issues when most of your population is in a few places.
Not that either are good, but polluting factories doing illegal (more importantly, immoral) shit are far easier to rectify than global climate change and forest fires. At the heart of taiwans pollution issues lies human based issues, directly. Like ultra directly, not like forest fires that are indirectly related to human behaviour. Well, actually still directly haha.
Its like comparing a volcano destroying a city to a nuclear bomb destroying a city. One is arguably much more preventable, regardless of both being bad…
The other thing is taiwan ha pollution year round with exception of massive rains (which only relocates it to water and soil, doesnt change it). Canadas forest fires are seasonal.
Very bad the last few days … I can’t wait to leave Winnipeg in February.
This is true, but the overall effect in health, especially mental health, is the same if not worse. In Winnipeg you get (barely) two months of decent weather, then it quickly descends into the pits of hell (winter). This place is very inhospitable to live. Time to leave (soon)! Woop!
I am fully with you, but to be fair there are FAR better places to live in canada than winnipeg! Those pollution numbers are now during.massive forsest fires which are a serious issue in canada. The advantage is you know what it is. Factory smog i am a bit more cautious about.
Happy for you regardless, seems you already have your mind.made up an that is a very satisfyin feeling 
And again, all week so far - it is like I live in Beijing or something. This summer has been brutal; I think we had one good week (of clean air) so far. Oh well, just two months until below zero temperatures again!!!
Thank God we are out of here in February!
Summer bad.
In beijing, i would still be far more concerned. Chemical factories buring up the air and water are a far different monster with forest fires that take up a few plastics in outhouses, work camps etc. Seasonality. I can get behind you wanting to leave canada for numerous reasons, but i just cant understand the logic of equating air pollution in winnipeg to taiwan.
I’d take the word of the person breathing it personally!
Quantitatively, sure. Qualitatively, not so much.
I used to live in those forest fire regions, and all my family currently does as well. I get how shitty it is, truly. I just think its a bit steep to compare to china or taiwans factory/city smog as they are quite different, and in canada it is very seasonal (as well as not everywhere)
I just think canada has more real issues to escape from other than pollution, especially when leaving to another smog nation that has no seasonality aside from rains washing it into our soils and water supply. After all, there is a reason i am in taiwan and not canada as well…but its not the air.
I’ll agree with you there.
Quality of life: we can’t really do anything outdoors all summer so far. And then, winter strikes, and we can’t really do anything outdoors (-20 to -40C anyone?). Throw in over a year of lockdowns … and I think it makes sense. Ultimately, it is just me whinging about the crappy air quality and inability to do anything about it, not really a direct comparison on the type of pollution.
Winterpeg, Manitoba
There we go, gettin to the heart of it
Im just screwing around. But semi serious the reason for moving from canada to taiwan cant be air quality hehe. I get what you mean though, sincerely. Unless you like semi extreme to extreme sports, its just not the place to be.
As it goes. Still better than Saskatchewan. No need to name drop cities…nobody knows any anyways. Hehe. Only joking, most of my family are stubble jumpers. all in good fun
what’s a regina?
Who’s she?
does it seem female, or like some kind of place (or both!)?
Its rude to call a woman a what.
