Beijing officials on Monday declared a red alert, which is the highest level of alarm for air pollution response in the Chinese capital.
Advertisement
A grey haze descended on Tuesday on the city of around 21.5 million people, with levels hitting above 300 micrograms per cubic metre, according to the USA embassy, which issues independent readings.
Severe air pollution is choking China with thick veils of smog, and yesterday (Dec. 7), Beijing issued a red alert – the highest possible – due to poor air quality in the Chinese capital city.
The city is now under an orange alert, the second-highest level.
China’s alert system on air pollution gives more weight to forecasts on how long the air pollution is will last, and not how severe pollution is at any given time, experts said.
The alert took effect earlier today and will stay in place until midday on Thursday, according to the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau.
Heavy trucks were banned, while private vehicle use was limited to odd or even license plate numbers on alternate days, state news agency Xinhua reported.
“The red alert is a welcome sign of a different attitude from the Beijing government”, said Dong Liansai, climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace.
The Beijing Education Commission issued a notice last night asking all middle, primary schools and kindergartens to suspend classes during the red alert period.
Three years ago, the central government launched a campaign to tackle air pollution by pushing hundreds of polluting factories such as steel mills and heavy machinery manufacturers out of Beijing to rural areas or cities in neighboring Hebei Province. “Children are particularly vulnerable to unsafe levels of air pollution”.
Those who did struggle to the office posted pictures on social media of themselves wearing industrial-strength face masks. And to top it all off, China is still very much relying on coal-generated electric power and heating.
Despite the red alert order, many residents tried to circumvent the rules. He says the goal was not about making a profit, but about raising awareness by putting pollution in the palm of your hand. She said in an interview from Kunming that they hectically packed before dawn Tuesday for their flight. “It is our right to breathe in fresh air, and right now, we’re being deprived of that right”.
Advertisement
“You have to do whatever you can to protect yourself”, Beijing resident Li Huiwen said while stopping at a market. Tiny particles in air pollution can penetrate into human lungs and aggravate respiratory and heart conditions, as well as worsening asthma and other chronic conditions.
