Space Travel News
FROTH AND BUBBLE
North China smog to last until mid-November: state media
stock image only
North China smog to last until mid-November: state media
by AFP Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Nov 1, 2023

Serious pollution is expected to remain over Beijing and surrounding areas until the middle of the month, Chinese state media said Wednesday.

Tens of millions of people in the capital and surrounding areas have this week been hit by some of the region's worst prolonged smog in months.

On Wednesday, Beijing's concentrations of hazardous PM 2.5 particles were more than 20 times higher than World Health Organisation guidelines, air quality monitoring firm IQAir said.

And the Chinese capital was the third most polluted major city in the world, the firm said, just ahead of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka.

In response to the smog, authorities have taken steps to limit the activity of heavy-emitting vehicles and encouraged residents to remain indoors.

Chinese officials were cited by the state-run Beijing Daily as saying that "moderate" and "severe and above" levels of pollution were expected to affect the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area until mid-November.

The area is home to more than 100 million people.

A "moderate" pollution ranking still means pollutants in the air are well over WHO-recommended limits.

The forecasts for the region were based on joint analysis conducted by the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre and local meteorological authorities across the country.

"The primary pollutants (in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region) are PM2.5 and PM10," the report said.

Those pollutants have been linked to premature deaths in people with heart or lung disease, as well as a host of breathing and other health issues, according to the US's Environmental Protection Agency.

In Beijing, authorities issued Monday the country's second-highest pollution warning.

And in parts of Hebei, one official forecast showed that hazy conditions brought visibility down to lower than 50 metres.

Authorities have blamed the smog on "unfavourable weather conditions".

China's capital declared "war on pollution" in 2015 after winning a bid to host the Winter Olympics, shutting down dozens of coal plants and relocating heavy industries to shed its status as one of the world's most polluted cities.

But while there have been improvements in recent years, air quality remains far below World Health Organization standards.

China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases driving climate change, such as carbon dioxide.

A jump in approvals for coal-fired power plants has added to concerns that China will backtrack on its goals to peak emissions between 2026 and 2030 and become carbon-neutral by 2060.

Northern China chokes under severe pollution
Beijing (AFP) Oct 31, 2023 - Tens of millions of people across northern China were under severe pollution warnings Tuesday, with authorities urging them to reduce outdoor activities as a greyish smog enveloped the region.

Several areas of north China's Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, home to over 100 million people, are suffering from some of the worst pollution they have seen in months.

In the capital Beijing, authorities Monday issued an orange alert -- the country's second-highest pollution warning.

"There has been more smog in the past two days... it really has an effect," said office worker Fu Dalin, 27.

"Because the smog is so serious, I won't go out for a run like usual, and will just have to stay at home," he told AFP in a business district in downtown Beijing.

Another resident of the capital, Xu Gengying, said the pollution wouldn't stop her from going about her everyday life.

"We still go out when we need to, if there's something to do. Just avoid doing some exercise outdoors -- no jogging," she said.

In several areas in densely populated Hebei province, which surrounds the capital, authorities issued their highest red alert.

Air quality monitoring firm IQAir on Tuesday listed Beijing as the fifth most-polluted major city on Earth, just ahead of Indian megalopolis Mumbai.

Authorities urged residents to "to reduce going out and strenuous outdoor exercise in the near future," according to state news agency Xinhua.

They were also limiting the number of construction and transport vehicles allowed on the roads.

In parts of Hebei, one official forecast showed that hazy conditions brought visibility down to lower than 50 metres.

In the nearby city of Tianjin, south of Beijing and home to 15 million people, the meteorological bureau advised anyone suffering from respiratory issues to refrain from going outside and to wear a mask if they do.

- 'Unfavourable' conditions -

Official forecasters say the smog, which they blamed on "unfavourable weather conditions", will linger in the region until temperatures drop from unseasonably mild highs later this week.

Should a red alert be issued in Beijing, that would trigger measures such as reducing traffic by prohibiting emitting vehicles with licence plates ending in even and odd numbers from driving on alternate days.

The Chinese capital declared "war on pollution" after winning the Winter Olympics bid in 2015, shutting down dozens of coal plants and relocating heavy industries to shed its status as one of the world's most polluted cities.

But while there has been improvement in recent years, air quality remains far below World Health Organization standards.

China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases driving climate change, such as carbon dioxide.

Greenpeace said in April that China has approved a major surge in coal power this year, accusing it of prioritising energy supply over its pledge to reduce emissions from fossil fuels.

The jump in approvals for coal-fired power plants has added to concerns that China will backtrack on its goals to peak emissions between 2026 and 2030 and become carbon-neutral by 2060.

Related Links
Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
FROTH AND BUBBLE
Northern China chokes under severe pollution
Beijing (AFP) Oct 31, 2023
Tens of millions of people across northern China were under severe pollution warnings Tuesday, with authorities urging them to reduce outdoor activities as a greyish smog enveloped the region. Several areas of north China's Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, home to over 100 million people, are suffering from the worst pollution they have seen in months. In the capital Beijing, authorities Monday issued an orange alert - the country's second-highest pollution warning. In several areas in densely ... read more

FROTH AND BUBBLE
FROTH AND BUBBLE
Mystery of the Martian core solved

Ascending Fang Turret: Sols 3991-3993

Sampling unique bedrock at the margin unit

Short but Sweet; Sols 3987-3988

FROTH AND BUBBLE
CADRE rover getting prepped for testing

Next generation Moon camera tested in Europe

ACT's Thermal Management System will help VIPER Rover survive long lunar nights

Texas A and M joins multimillion-dollar moon orbit tracking project

FROTH AND BUBBLE
How NASA is protecting Europa Clipper from space radiation

NASA's Webb Discovers New Feature in Jupiter's Atmosphere

Plot thickens in hunt for ninth planet

Large mound structures on Kuiper belt object Arrokoth may have common origin

FROTH AND BUBBLE
ET phone Dublin? Astrophysicists scan the Galaxy for signs of life

Exoplanet-informed research helps search for radio technosignatures

Webb detects tiny quartz crystals in clouds of hot gas giant

Extreme habitats: Microbial life in Old Faithful Geyser

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Nighttime rehearsal for Ariane 6 towards first flight

New US rocket Vulcan Centaur set to launch on December 24

Rocket Lab receives FAA authorization to resume launches

UK plans space mission after striking deal with US firm

FROTH AND BUBBLE
China discloses tasks of Shenzhou-17 crewed space mission

Shenzhou 17 docks with Tiangong Space Station

China able, ready to invite foreign astronauts to its space station

China launches new mission to space station

FROTH AND BUBBLE
UArizona researchers probe how a piece of the moon became a near-Earth asteroid

Hera asteroid mission goes on trial

Lucy preparing for its first asteroid flyby

Psyche's 3.6 billion kilometre journey to the centre of the Earth via it's namesake

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.