Beijing Issues First-Ever ‘Red Alert’ due to Smog, Bad Air

Beijing, the capital of China, has issued its first-ever "red alert" due to smog. The alert will go into effect on Tuesday 7 a.m., and last until noon on Thursday (Beijing time).

Government officials announced that schools will be closed down. Factories and construction sites will be temporarily shut down and half of the city's cars will not be allowed on the roads during the alert. Officials will manage car use via license plates (odd versus even).

"The pollution has been so bad these past few years," resident Li Xia, 35 said reported by the Los Angeles Times. "My child will have to stay at home this whole time. When I was a kid, I used to play outdoors with my friends all the time. I feel sorry for my child; this is not the way a kid should live."

Meteorologists believe that a cold front that is coming on Thursday will improve the fog and haze situation.

The alert came after the city has been dealing with air pollution that lowered visibility to less than 300 feet. The five-day stretch of haze, which promoted an "orange alert," also prevented flights from being able to safely land on time and caused long-distance buses to suspend their service. Schools were told to restrict outdoor activities and classes. An orange alert is the second most serious alert out of four that officials can declare.

Despite issuing the red alert, the air pollution problem in Beijing is actually starting to improve, albeit at a very slow pace.

Lauri Myllyvirta, an energy campaigner at Greenpeace International said, reported by The Washington Post, "This year is still on track to be by far the best for air pollution on record, but the fact that these horrendous episodes can still happen shows how far there is to go to solve the problem. The episodes show that it is absolutely crucial to ramp up reductions in coal use, as well as enforcement of strict emission limits for power plants and industry, even with the leveling off of growth in manufacturing sectors."

The fact that the city issued the red alert is also a sign that it is finally willing to put health and air quality first as opposed to the economy. Some locals, however, remained skeptical of the government, noting that the actions are in response to public pressure and do not offer long-term solutions.