Beijing Issues 3-Day Red Alert For Pollution; Schools Closed, Cars Restricted

For the first time since 2013 Chinese capital Beijing has issued a red alert Monday, December 7, evening for smog pollution, ordering schools to close, restricting use of cars, halting outdoor construction, banning fireworks and banning outdoor barbecues too.

The emergency air pollution response system was set up in 2013 with multicolored warnings for the city. Red alert code is the highest level of alarm and orange color is the second highest level.

Today’s red alert warning will be in force until Thursday, December 10, noon.

Beijing is currently under orange alert that was issued on Saturday.

China is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world and most of its carbon emissions come from burning of coal used in fueling up of power plants and heating of homes during the cold winter months.

According to Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, the red alert has been issued to reduce heavy air pollution and protect public health.

The PM2.5 particles on Monday jumped toward 300 micrograms per cubic meter. The safe level is 25.

The restrictions would affect the 22.5 million city pollution, but authorities say extra public buses and subway trains would be added to control the increased strain.

At the recent international climate change summit in Paris the country ensured to curb coal use to address air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

A law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, Alex Wang, said the extraordinary pollution in the Chinese capital demonstrates too many things are to be done to make policies work in practice.