Two years ago, the Beijing government created a color-coded four-tired warning system on air pollution. Today, it issued its first red alert for smog in a city notorious for its bad air. It is urging schools to close and has invoked restrictions on factories and traffic that will reduce the number of vehicles on city roads by half.
A red alert means that authorities forecast that there will be more than three days in a row of severe smog. The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau issued the alert to "protect public health and reduce levels of heavy air pollution." A cold front is expected on Thursday, which should clear some of the pollution out.
Cars will only be allowed to be driven every other day depending on the last number of their license plate. Extra subway trains and buses would be added to handle the additional strain on public transport. Other restrictions are intended to reduce the amount of dust and other particulate matter in the city of 22.5 million people. Schools that have good air filtration systems will be allowed to stay open.
Readings of PM2.5 particles climbed toward 300 micrograms per cubic meter on Monday and are expected to continue rising before the air begins to improve. PM2.5 particles are those that are 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller. The World Health Organization has designated the safe level for particles this size to be 25 micrograms per cubic meter. Earlier this month, readings reached as high as 976 micrograms per cubic meter in Beijing's suburbs. The city also experiences bad air in November, when power demand soared due to unusually cold weather. Beijing's pollution is largely blamed on coal-fired electricity plants as well as on vehicle emissions and factories.
Smog can be so bad in Beijing that schools are forced to suspend outdoor activities. Highways have had to close because of reduced visibility. Many residents of Beijing wear masks when outside on bad air days.
