Beijing under three-day red alert as smog envelops city

Heavy smog in Beijing prompted the city to issue its first red alert Monday, a three-day closing of factories, construction sites and schools.
The highest level of the four-tier alert indicates a severe air pollution problem is expected to last at least three days. The smog is expected to dissipate when a predicted cold front arrives Thursday.
“Coal-fired power plants are the major culprit at this point,” state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua reported. While Beijing attempts to reduce its reliance on coal, surrounding regions still heavily rely on it, and some scientists blame air pollution for 4,000 deaths per day in Beijing.
“This is history. This is a precedent set,” said Ma Jun of Beijing’s Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs.

This post was published at UPI