- Title: Heavy smog shrouds Beijing
- Date: 18th November 2016
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (NOVEMBER 18, 2016) (REUTERS) BEIJING SKYLINE/TRAFFIC TRAFFIC BUILDINGS SHROUDED IN SMOG TRAFFIC CRANES AT CONSTRUCTION SITE PEDESTRIANS WALKING AT CROSSING PEDESTRIANS WEARING MASKS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 30 YEAR-OLD BANK TELLER AND BEIJING RESIDENT, LIANG YU, SAYING: "I don't think air pollution has improved at all, and in fact it has continued this awful trend. Because in the past, in Beijing, air pollution wasn't that bad. But air pollution in recent years has obviously gotten more serious. Especially when it comes to the fall and winter seasons, the smog is really bad." TRAFFIC PASSING BY EXTERIOR OF BEIJING NUMBER TWO EXPERIMENTAL PRIMARY SCHOOL FENCE/PLAYGROUND INSIDE BASKETBALL HOOP CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG/SCHOOL WINDOWS VARIOUS OF PEDESTRIANS CROSSING CROSSWALK (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 60 YEAR-OLD BEIJING RESIDENT AND RETIREE, WU GUANZHENG, SAYING: "But air pollution isn't like something else where you can just solve the problem quickly through hard work. This needs some time. I have faith that our country will be able to turn our skies blue. Right now our country is planting lots of trees and the common folk are actively investing (their own time) in these efforts." NEWS CONFERENCE IN SESSION REPORTERS SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) DEPUTY MINISTER OF THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION, ZHAO YINGMIN, SAYING: "The domestic situation is that the reasons behind the severe air pollution differ from city to city. Although overall our country's major energy source is coal, but for some of our major cities, emissions from motorised vehicles comprise a large portion of the pollution, and there are some cities which have heavy industries, and most of the pollution is due to those industries, so you could say that the causes for smog in different places are not quite the same." STATE BROADCASTER CCTV HEADQUARTERS/TRAFFIC STATE BROADCASTER CCTV HEADQUARTERS SHROUDED IN SMOG TRAFFIC
- Embargoed: 3rd December 2016 08:58
- Keywords: Beijing air pollution orange alert
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Pollution,Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA00158Z0GUD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Beijing was enveloped in severe smog on Friday (November 18) as the Chinese capital, under fire to take effective measures against air pollution, raised its four-tiered alert system to "orange" for the first time this year on Thursday (November 17).
The orange level, the second highest, advises schools and kindergartens to cancel outside sports classes, but falls short of ordering school to close and keeping government vehicles off the road, provisions which come into force with the "red" level.
By noon (0400 GMT), Beijing's official air quality measuring data put levels of PM2.5 particles, those measuring less than 2.5 micrometres across and the most noxious form of air pollution, at 275, while the U.S. embassy air quality measuring data was at 283.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers levels above 300 to be hazardous. Last weekend, the index topped 500.
Beijing resident Liang Yu, 30, said that for him the orange alert was simply just an official figure which offers little solution to the actual problem.
"I think (air pollution) hasn't improved at all, and in fact it has continued this awful trend. Because in the past, in Beijing, air pollution wasn't that bad. But air pollution in recent years has obviously gotten more serious. Especially when it comes to the fall and winter seasons, the smog is really bad," he said.
Despite criticism of the government from state media and the Internet for failing to act against high pollution levels, some citizens said they understood the problem takes time to tackle.
"But air pollution isn't like something else where you can just solve the problem quickly through hard work. This needs some time. I have faith that our country will be able to turn our skies blue. Right now our country is planting lots of trees and the common folk are actively investing (their own time) in these efforts," said retiree Wu Guanzheng.
Air quality in China's smog-hit northern regions, which include the capital Beijing, worsened in October despite overall improvements over the course of the year, the environment ministry said in a notice late on Monday (November 14).
Zhao Yingmin, deputy minister of China's Environmental Protection Ministry, would not comment specifically on Beijing's worsening air quality this winter, but said causes of air pollution vary from city to city.
"The domestic situation is that the reasons behind the severe air pollution differ from city to city. Although overall our country's major energy source is coal, but for some of our major cities, emissions from motorised vehicles comprise a large portion of the pollution, and there are some cities which have heavy industries, and most of the pollution is due to those industries, so you could say that the causes for smog in different places are not quite the same," Zhao told reporters at a news conference in Beijing on Friday.
Weather forecast says smog is expected to ease from Saturday (November 19), following the arrival of a cold front.
Smog normally worsens in winter as China's largely coal-fired urban heating systems are activated in northern regions, but the ministry has warned that the situation could be more challenging this year as a result of unfavorable weather conditions. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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