Beijing is now under an orange pollution alert, with the Chinese government finally admitting the city has a problem with smog. The metropolitan area is due for heavy smog through 23 February.
The capital city raised its warning level to orange, for the first time since a color-coded warning system was introduced in October. This is the second-highest alert, behind red. The warning was issued after media and the public criticized the Chinese government for failing to act on heavy smog in the city earlier in the month.
Chinese military leaders stated smog over Beijing and other Chinese cities is so thick, it could act to block lasers in the event of a U.S. military attack. This idea has been met with significant criticism from many observers.
An orange warning encourages schools to keep students inside. It also bans private barbeques, demolition work and fireworks. Chinese officials visited factories around the city, checking emission levels. Those found to be in violation of orange-level guidelines will be fined. Residents of Beijing are being encouraged not to drive while smog levels are considered hazardous. Local authorities are encouraged to spray roads with water, in order to keep smog minimized. A red alert would require government agencies, including schools, to keep automobiles off roads. Half of the five million cars in the capital city would be banned from streets, based on the last digit of their license plate number.
In U.S. cities, the EPA measures levels of PM2.5 particles. This category of pollutant includes all particulate matter (PM), including liquids. The World Health Organization considers safe levels to be 25 or lower. Any reading over 300 micrograms per cubic meter is considered hazardous. At the American embassy in Beijing, the PM2.5 levels were recorded between 378 and 500. Chinese officials expect these numbers to lower through the weekend, preventing a red alert.
For decades, a desire for speedy growth led to pollution of the nation's water, soil and air resources in many areas. In the last few years, a public outcry has risen over pollution. Chinese officials have instituted several new environmental initiatives, attempting to stifle dissent. Severe violations of environmental regulations can even be punished by death. Still, enforcement of these laws has been inconsistent. Many local governments are dependent on taxes from the largest polluters.
Severe pollution around the middle of February was barely noted by the Chinese government, which issued a blue (lowest) level warning. Yellow is the second degree of warning.
Chinese officials are hesitant to raise the alert level to red, noting the difficulty of notifying over 21 million people living in Beijing.
