January 29th, 2013
07:55 AM ET

Beijing choking on hazardous smog - again

Hazardous smog was covering Beijing on Tuesday, reducing visibility to less than 200 meters (200 yards) in parts of Chinese capital while forcing the cancellation of airline flights and the closure of highways, Chinese state media reported.

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing reported that at 8 p.m. local time Tuesday air quality had been at hazardous levels for the past 24 hours, meaning that “everyone should avoid all physical activity outdoors; people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should remain indoors and keep activity levels low,” according to the embassy’s website.

Citizens were fed up with the hazardous air. The latest blanket of smog, which began to cover the eastern China area on Monday, is the fourth to menace the area since the beginning of the year.

“The air pollution is terrible. It's bad for citizens' health. They need to sort it out, the department responsible needs to sort out the environment,” Beijing resident Zhang Shuquing was quoted as saying by China Radio International.

"I'm standing outside my office building but am unable to see its top," one office worker wrote on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, according to a report from the state-run Xinhua news service.

The air is so bad that some pedestrians in Beijing have abandoned ordinary face masks for gas masks and respirators, Xinhua reported.

A Beijing pediatric hospital says it has treated a record 9,000 children this month for respiratory illnesses, most of which doctors and patients blame on the smog, Xinhua reported.

Relief may come by Wednesday night, when snow and rain moving into the region should clear the air, Chinese weather authorities said in a report from China Daily.

Beijing adopts emergency measures

Living with Beijing's 'air-pocalypse'

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Filed under: China • Environment
soundoff (31 Responses)
  1. Portland tony

    Years ago, LA used to look like this almost daily.

    January 29, 2013 at 9:55 am | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      Yes, @PT; thank goodness for the EPA and the Clean Air Acts...

      January 29, 2013 at 10:46 am | Report abuse |
    • AJW3

      The Pubes wouldn't care if we were breathing mud if it meant maximizing profits.

      January 29, 2013 at 11:19 am | Report abuse |
    • zandhcats

      Same did NJ.

      January 30, 2013 at 3:48 pm | Report abuse |
  2. chrissy

    Lol @ Blanderson, that is a primary factor in the problem they are experiencing now. They took over the US manufacturing and now theyre experiencing the downside of doing that.

    January 29, 2013 at 10:56 am | Report abuse |
  3. krehator

    All those cheap products have expensive consequences. Big business DOES NOT police itself.

    January 29, 2013 at 2:43 pm | Report abuse |
    • Scottish Mama

      WORD. But someday Walmart will use USA products.lol And the chinese with have human rights.

      January 30, 2013 at 11:21 am | Report abuse |
    • zandhcats

      So, their jobs will outsource to the cheap labor costs here?

      January 30, 2013 at 3:55 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Mr Dalloway

    Eventually the environment will become a great financial burden on China.

    January 29, 2013 at 3:08 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Scottish Mama

    And all of you know that Smog has nothing to do with the climate, right? lololol Where is that sun? Now we know why the chinese always have surgical mask on. Maybe it will blow over North Korea and block out the missle liftoff.

    January 30, 2013 at 11:17 am | Report abuse |
  6. scott

    biggest user of coal and yet we import more of their junk than anyone

    January 30, 2013 at 12:37 pm | Report abuse |
    • Scottish Mama

      Because we have "Clean" coal? lol Most people believe that because it says clean.

      January 30, 2013 at 12:44 pm | Report abuse |
    • cb

      And we export more and more coal to China. Where do you suppose the tar sands pipeline is headed ? As if there is such a thing as their air and our air. STOP the Keystone Pipeline !!

      January 30, 2013 at 2:27 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Joel

    And yet we keep buying manufactured crap Made in China!

    January 30, 2013 at 12:42 pm | Report abuse |
    • Scottish Mama

      Strangers in our own land?

      January 30, 2013 at 1:01 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Ben

    Maybe we should ban vehicles and the high capacity gas tanks? think this will bring an end to the pain and suffering?

    January 30, 2013 at 1:27 pm | Report abuse |
    • Knucklehead

      You're firing blanks.

      January 31, 2013 at 10:44 am | Report abuse |
  9. Son of Pain

    The power is yours!

    January 30, 2013 at 2:00 pm | Report abuse |
  10. ChiTown Gal In Houston

    I lived in Beijing for two years. It was six months before I realized I could see mountains from my living room balcony because of the smog.

    January 30, 2013 at 4:04 pm | Report abuse |
    • uhohaseena

      Whoa... That's kinda sad.

      January 31, 2013 at 7:11 pm | Report abuse |
  11. the dude

    200 meters = 200 yards? talk about Lazy journalism. If you are not going to give an accurate conversion, dont give one at all.

    January 31, 2013 at 8:03 am | Report abuse |
  12. Knucklehead

    How do you like your capitalism now? Can't wait to see how the free market fixes this.

    January 31, 2013 at 10:43 am | Report abuse |
  13. sleestak

    Looks like the movie, Blade Runner.

    January 31, 2013 at 2:16 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Julio

    Do they have to breathe that every hoouuurwahhh???

    January 31, 2013 at 4:15 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Tyler

    A 4-5 year old needs an iphone?

    January 31, 2013 at 5:52 pm | Report abuse |
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