Red Alert Declared in Beijing for Air Pollution

On Monday, Beijing officials declared the city's air pollution status as red for the first time. School closures and restrictions on factory operations and traffic are among the measures taken by Chinese authorities to cope with this situation. According to the Associated Press, this warning, the most severe in over two years, indicates that city officials expect this condition to persist for more than three consecutive days. For over two years, Chinese authorities have categorized air quality in Beijing into four levels, with red being the highest alert level. The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau stated that this warning was issued to 'protect public health and reduce severe air pollution.' Jas Leifeld, a chemist at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, noted in an article published in Nature that 1.4 million people die prematurely each year due to pollution in China. On Monday, the level of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns, known as PM 2.5, increased to 300 micrograms per cubic meter, and it is expected to rise further with the arrival of a cold front on Thursday. The World Health Organization has set the maximum allowable level at 25. In addition to school closures and controlling vehicle traffic on alternate days based on even and odd license plate numbers, a series of other restrictions are being implemented to reduce pollution and suspended particles in this city of 22.5 million. Officials say increasing the number of urban trains and buses can alleviate the additional burden on urban transport. This is the second time this month that the persistent smog has caused severe pollution in Beijing, with PM 2.5 levels in the suburbs reaching 976 micrograms. Beijing has been under a blanket of smog throughout November, coinciding with increased electricity consumption due to unusually cold weather. Although pollution in the capital improved somewhat in the first ten months of the year, the thick smog, visible from afar, has forced schools to halt outdoor activities and has even led to the closure of some highways due to reduced visibility. Previously, thick smog had lasted more than three consecutive days at times, but the situation was not severe enough to declare a red alert. A red alert is declared when the warning status persists for more than 72 consecutive hours with PM 2.5 levels exceeding 200 micrograms per cubic meter. Air pollution in China has severely impacted public health. Jas Leifeld noted that 1.4 million people die prematurely each year due to pollution in China. Coal-fired power plants, vehicle emissions, construction, and factories are the main contributors to pollution. China is the largest carbon emitter in the world. The country plans to improve its coal-fired power plants within the next five years and states that emissions will peak in 2030 and then decline. While pollution standards have become stricter and significant investments have been made in solar, wind, and other renewable energies, China still relies on coal for over 60% of its electricity production.