Fresh air

G20 is over, dear readers, and the factories are back to pumping out gunk into the air. Yet again, it has been proved that China’s air pollution problem is man-made and solvable. We knew it years ago from the Beijing perspective, of course. But our point now is that actually it could be that in terms of air pollution at least, China may have turned a corner. This year has seen far fewer of the total lockdown pollution days of recent years. Sales of face masks are down for sure, and the share prices of air purifier manufacturers are no doubt off their highs. The air pollution was becoming a major issue in terms of the potentially revolting masses, and when they absolutely have to do something in terms, usually, of system protection, then they can. But the results of the last three decades of helter-skelter growth to outrun the ghosts will be retained longer in the water and in the soil. Imported food for us for dinner tonight, still.