5 ms·

Why is Johannesburg so bad?

appplemac 6y ago
Was going to ask the same question. There also is a spot in Poland that’s not in a large city - was curious about that one as well. Some sort of NO2-generating production? Also between DRC and Angola.
- _Microft 6y ago
  The emitter in Poland seems to be the brown coal (lignite) power plant Bełchatów. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be%C5%82chat%C3%B3w_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be%C5%82chat%C3%B3w_Power_Stat... https://www.bing.com/maps?v=2&cp=51.266111~19.330278&style=h&lvl=15&sp=Point.51.266111_19.330278_Kraftwerk%20Be%C5%82chat%C3%B3w___ https://www.bing.com/maps?v=2&cp=51.266111~19.330278&style=h...
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- mistrial9 6y ago
  I enjoyed this documentary on the topic: SMOG WARS - Polish Air Pollution Documentary (Full International Version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs70ewSdEjE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs70ewSdEjE
Havoc 6y ago
That isn't Joburg. It's the power plants in the province east of Joburg - Mpumalanga. There are coal deposits there so they built a bunch of coal plants. Three mega plants in that vicinity - Majuba, Kusile and bit further north Medupi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpumalanga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpumalanga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majuba_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majuba_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusile_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusile_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medupi_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medupi_Power_Station
- azinman2 6y ago
  Are they just unusually dirty? It really stands out at a global-level, which is pretty "impressive".
  - Havoc 6y ago
    I think it's a combination. Even by global standards these ones are very big plants and concentrated in a fairly small area. There are handful of other plants there too that I don't recall. Dirty - yeah that too unfortunately. The plants tend to use worse grade coal (good stuff gets exported) and aside from Kusile they run without SO2 scrubbers, which is quite sketchy given the coal grade. Though this is a NO2 map so unsure how that translates. It's all a bit of a mess frankly
- igravious 6y ago
  Fascinating. thank you! Btw, for those like me who didn't know what Jo'burg's province is called, it's Gauteng! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauteng https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauteng

Was going to ask the same question. There also is a spot in Poland that’s not in a large city - was curious about that one as well. Some sort of NO2-generating production? Also between DRC and Angola.

_Microft 6y ago
The emitter in Poland seems to be the brown coal (lignite) power plant Bełchatów. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be%C5%82chat%C3%B3w_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be%C5%82chat%C3%B3w_Power_Stat... https://www.bing.com/maps?v=2&cp=51.266111~19.330278&style=h&lvl=15&sp=Point.51.266111_19.330278_Kraftwerk%20Be%C5%82chat%C3%B3w___ https://www.bing.com/maps?v=2&cp=51.266111~19.330278&style=h...
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
mistrial9 6y ago
I enjoyed this documentary on the topic: SMOG WARS - Polish Air Pollution Documentary (Full International Version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs70ewSdEjE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs70ewSdEjE

Havoc 6y ago

That isn't Joburg. It's the power plants in the province east of Joburg - Mpumalanga. There are coal deposits there so they built a bunch of coal plants. Three mega plants in that vicinity - Majuba, Kusile and bit further north Medupi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpumalanga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpumalanga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majuba_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majuba_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusile_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusile_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medupi_Power_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medupi_Power_Station

azinman2 6y ago
Are they just unusually dirty? It really stands out at a global-level, which is pretty "impressive".
- Havoc 6y ago
  I think it's a combination. Even by global standards these ones are very big plants and concentrated in a fairly small area. There are handful of other plants there too that I don't recall. Dirty - yeah that too unfortunately. The plants tend to use worse grade coal (good stuff gets exported) and aside from Kusile they run without SO2 scrubbers, which is quite sketchy given the coal grade. Though this is a NO2 map so unsure how that translates. It's all a bit of a mess frankly
igravious 6y ago
Fascinating. thank you! Btw, for those like me who didn't know what Jo'burg's province is called, it's Gauteng! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauteng https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauteng