Massive brown cloud costs Asia

A brown cloud of smoke, pollutants and other particles that is three kilometers deep and stretches from the Arabia to the Pacific Ocean is harming the region's health and agriculture, a UN agency says.

In this Feb. 6, 2007 satellite image from NASA, a band of brown haze appears to narrow somewhat as it crosses over South Korea, center, then spreads out over the Sea of Japan toward Japan, center right. Opaque white clouds mix with the haze, especially over the Yellow Sea and Japan. According to a report commissioned by the U.N. Environment Program and released Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008, a thick brown cloud of soot, particles and chemicals stretching from the Persian Gulf to Asia threatens health and food supplies in the world, (AP Photo/NASA)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) claims that the cloud will damage hearts and lungs, and impair photosynthesis resulting in lower crop yields. The cloud will even hamper ability to monitor global warming.

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