Schools were closed, building work suspended and restrictions on cars were put in place in Beijing on Tuesday after the Chinese capital issued its first-ever “red alert” for smog.
Advertisement
Under the red alert, the highest in the four-tier emergency response system created in 2013, all schools have been ordered to be closed, and outdoor construction halted.
Emergency measures include restricting road traffic, except electric vehicles, using an odd and even licence plate number system pioneered before the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
The red alert brings factory closures, road restrictions, vehicle bans and a Beijing city government recommendation for schools to cancel classes.
A cold front on Thursday predicted by forecasters is expected to clear the smog.
As China continues to be blanketed by dense toxic air, authorities in the city of Beijing have issued the highest red alert for pollution.
A grey haze enveloped China’s capital, with levels of PM 2.5 (particulate matter), a mixture of microscopic solids and liquids floating in the air that can penetrate deep into the lungs, recorded as high as 300 micrograms per cubic meter, according to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
This alert began on Tuesday morning and will be in effect until Thursday, Reuters said.
At the same time, another big problem affecting Beijing’s air quality are the numerous construction sites releasing huge quantities of dirt and dust all over the city. They included trips to Tangshan, three hours from Beijing, or as far away as Indonesia. The World Health Organisation (WHO) designates the safe level for the tiny poisonous particles at 25 microgrammes per cubic metre. While cities with blue bubbles have clean air, the darker the bubble gets, the more polluted it is.
Beijing has suffered more serious smog lasting more than three days in the past, but it was not forecast and so did not trigger the red alert.
The hazardous smog enveloping Beijing highlights the urgency for a deal at the Paris summit to cope with climate change, China on Tuesday said as it acknowledged that the recurring smog could be due to its rapid economic growth.
Advertisement
Most of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the burning of coal for electricity and heating – particularly bad when demand peaks in winter – and is also the main cause of smog, which can include multiple pollutants. The world air map does just this: “it reveals the invisible by visualizing the pollution in the air we breathe, live and all around the world, rather than city by city”.
