20151209 BBC_First person: Family evacuated from Beijing as threat looms

At the age of 4, my daughter has become an environmental refugee.

To escape the heavy smog that started to blanket the capital city late Monday, my mother-in-law, 63, and my little girl, accompanied by my husband, boarded the train early Tuesday morning for my hometown of Nanjing, an eastern city about 1,000 kilometers away.

Unlike traditional tragic refugee trips, the journey was a happy one. Having no idea of all the possible hazards that smog could cause to her, my daughter appeared very chirpy at the railway station for being able to skip kindergarten for a few days, and in Nanjing, she could see her beloved grandmother.

"It's like a holiday. I like it!" she said.

"Do you know why Mom is sending you away?" I asked.

"It's so dirty here. The sky doesn't wash its face these days."

I'm now the only person in my family staying in Beijing. As expected, I will endure the smog for another two days, and possibly some more days when a new round of smog hits the city starting this weekend.

Sending my family away was a rush decision. After the red alert came on Monday evening, it took us five minutes to make the decision, another five minutes to book the train tickets by mobile phone, and 30 minutes to pack. At 6 am on Tuesday, while the sky was still dark, they departed.

"We cannot make any change (to the air quality), but we can escape," my husband said.

And I'm not alone. A friend of mine took her 2-year-old son to Shanghai on Tuesday, and another friend flew with her 10-year-old daughter to the southern city of Guangzhou, where a lovely safari park is located.

Travel agencies said there's an uptick in demand. Ctrip.com, an online travel service, said its sales of "Skip the Smog" packages have seen a 20 percent rise among Beijing residents. The trips range from nearby cities to as far away as Southeast Asian countries.

As the capital of China and an ancient city world famous for its Forbidden City and Great Wall, Beijing is now losing some appeal due to the lingering air pollution problem. Some of my friends, who were scared by the previous round of smog that pushed the city's PM2.5 reading above 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter last week, are seriously considering moving abroad.

"I know the government is making great efforts to improve the air quality and it is taking effect, but the progress will be slow and the harm is unalterable," said a college classmate of mine, who now runs a small private equity fund in Beijing and is considering going to the United States for investment immigration.

"I don't want any of my family members to end up with lung cancer."

I'm also starting to ponder whether settling in this city 15 years ago, amid the admiration and envy of my friends back in Nanjing, was a good choice.

At that time, I came to Beijing for the abundant chances brought by the country's rapid development, and now I'm sending my child away due to the consequences of this growth.

20151208 BBC_China smog red alert

http://www.bbc.com/weather/features/35031258

Beijing on red alert as smog levels soar but Delhi branded the most polluted city as particulates build up over the city.

The Indian government has announced it will restrict the number of cars it will allow in the capitals streets to try to reduce the chocking smog.

20151208 China Daily_Beijing issues first red alert for heavy air pollution

The CCTV headquarters is shrouded in heavy smog in the central business district in Beijing, China Dec 7, 2015.[Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- Beijing has upgraded its alert for air pollution from orange to red, the most serious level, on Monday afternoon.

This is the first time the capital has issued the red alert, which will last from 7:00 a.m. Tuesday to 12:00 pm Thursday.

Beijing's Education Commission has decided to suspend classes in all elementary and middle schools, kindergartens and extracurricular training schools during the alert. Teachers are encouraged to give learning advices to students via Internet and other communication tools.

Car use will be limited as cars are allowed on the roads on alternating days depending on the odd or even numbers of their license plates. In addition, 30 percent of government cars will be banned from streets on an odd/even basis.

According to the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center, heavy air pollution will linger until Thursday. It is expected to disperse Thursday afternoon as a cold front arrives.

This is the first time Beijing has issued a red alert for smog since 2013 when Beijing adopted an emergency response program for air pollution.

Four-tier alerts--blue, yellow, orange and red--will be issued on "heavy pollution" days. Red alert, the highest, will be issued for heavy pollution that is expected to last more than three days.

According to the city's emergency management headquarters, during a red alert, kindergartens, primary and high schools are advised to suspend classes, and outdoor operations of construction sites are banned and some industrial plants are required to limit or stop production.

Chinese Environment Minister Chen Jining has vowed to strictly punish agencies or personnel who fail to initiate emergency response plan in a timely manner.

Local environment protection agencies, especially those in Beijing, Tianjing, Hebei, Shandong, Henan and Shanxi which are constantly haunted by air pollution, should examine their emergency response measures and reflect upon deficiencies, said Chen on Sunday at an emergency meeting to cope with the upcoming smoggy days.

Strict standards and practical work styles should be adopted to deal with the upcoming days, he ordered.

The minister asked local governments to initiate appropriate emergency responses according to the highest level of forecasted pollution.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has dispatched inspection teams to regions with heavy pollution to ensure emergency plans are being launched in time, monitor and control pollution sources such as coal burning, and enhance management on vehicles that cannot meet national emission standards.

A woman walks by a river near the Imperial Palace on a smoggy day in Beijing. [Photo by Zou Hong/Asianewsphoto] Buildings are pictured amid heavy smog in Beijing, China, Dec 7, 2015.[Photo/Xinhua]

20151204_China Daily_Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei govts to cooperate on emissions control

Environmental officials ensure production is suspended at a concrete mixing plant in Tongzhou district in Beijing on Monday as the city suffered from severe pollution. LIU CHANG/CHINA DAILY

The heavily polluted cluster of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province signed a cooperation framework on Thursday to control air, water and soil pollution, marking a breakthrough in regional integration, according to a statement released by the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

The move set up a new joint coordination system to curb serious smog, and included a plan to create the first unified regulation on the control and prevention of environmental pollution in the region as a whole－including plans for the management of industries likely to affect air, water, soil and solid waste, said Li Lixin, head of the bureau's regional cooperation department.

In addition, the trilateral region will develop standards for emissions. Beijing currently has stricter standards than Hebei and Tianjin for emissions in major polluting industries and for vehicle exhaust.

The three will also conduct joint monitoring and inspections and share information on an environmental monitoring network, Li said.

Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province have faced severe air pollution since 2013. The recent spell of smog that settled in to the region last week underlined the governments' need to take action quickly.

Half of the air pollutants in Beijing come from neighboring cities, Liu Hongli, associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, said on Thursday. Without effective regional control, it's hard to control the smog, he said.

In recent days, the capital saw the concentration of PM2.5 go off the air index charts, exceeding 945 micrograms per cubic meter on Sunday. The national safety level for PM2.5－particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 microns that poses health hazards to humans－is 75 micrograms per cubic meter.

In December, the trilateral region is forecast to have another two spells of heavy haze because of windless weather, but not as hazardous as the recent one that lingered until Wednesday, the national weather authority said.

The first spell is expected on Tuesday and will likely last for three days before a new cold front will again bring wind to North China, Liu said.

He added that a second spell of smog might come between Dec 14 and 16, covering a vast region of northern China.

Xue Jianjun, senior engineer at the National Meteorological Center, said the two spells of smog will occur between intervals of wind, and the southern cities in the region may experience severe smog.

Polluters to pay for damage

China will start a compensation system for ecological damage in some pilot provinces by the end of this year, with a view toward expanding it to the whole country in 2018 if successful.

The State Council published the pilot plan, the first national regulation of its kind, on Thursday, saying the system will be tried and improved as needed.

Provincial governments can ask for compensation when natural resources within their jurisdictions have been damaged. Companies, organizations or individuals responsible for the pollution will bear the burden of compensation.

Pollution caused by the mistakes of decision-makers in governments will be excluded.

Under the plan, compensation would cover the costs of environmental remediation and any economic losses arising from the cleanup process itself or any permanent losses.

Financial institutions such as banks will also be the targets of compensation if they give polluters loans knowing the risks of ecological damage.

The pilot plan also out-lines a process for governments to file lawsuits, make assessment reports and create rules to strengthen management after receiving compensation.

20141020 BBC_Beijing marathon runners don masks to cope with smog

Half marathon runner Chas Pope describes conditions in Beijing

Continue reading the main story

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Thousands of runners have taken part in the 34th Beijing International Marathon, many wearing face masks amid concerns about pollution.

The organisers warned runners to expect slight or moderate smog, but the US embassy in Beijing said air quality early on Sunday was "hazardous".

One resident in the city told the BBC that the air smelt like burnt coal.

Estimates said that pollution soared above the maximum recommended World Health Organization levels.

China has for years been hit by severe air pollution

Runner Chas Pope has posted pictures on the internet of his mask before and after the marathon

The WHO says daily pollution levels should not exceed an average of 25 micrograms per cubic metre of fine particulate matter.

Yet the US embassy's monitor at one point reported peaks of up to 400 micrograms per cubic metre, which it said would be hazardous if a human was exposed to it over a 24-hour period.

Fine particulate matter, the kind of pollution in smoke, damages the body as it moves deep into the lungs and can even enter the bloodstream.

'Should have been cancelled'

Some athletes gave up the race because of the pollution.

British runner Chas Pope tweeted that he was only able to do 10km (6 miles) of the race in a mask before he was forced to pull out.

He said that race should have been cancelled because the air quality was "not suitable for outdoor activities".

Ethiopia's Girmay Birhanu Gebru won the marathon in just over two hours and 10 minutes

Organisers rejected calls to postpone the race despite the haze

Most runners defied the smog to enjoy the race

China's Gong Lihua, who came third in the women's race, said the smog had caused some difficulties.

"Running in this kind of smog, I felt I couldn't sweat well and my body has been very sticky and moist," she said.

Beijing resident Neil Holt told the BBC that although the air quality was better than last year, "it was still very polluted".

"You can hardly see [the stadium] through the smog. It's really hard to breathe when it is like this," he said.

The men's race was won by Ethiopian runner Girmay Birhanu Gebru and another Ethiopian, Fatuma Sado Dergo, won the women's race.

20140109 HKET_灰霾襲珠三角 廣州重度污染

經濟日報 - 空氣污染再襲珠三角地區，昨日廣州珠江新城遭霧霾籠罩，當局啟動環境空氣重污染二級應急響應。

【經濟日報專訊】廣州市昨出現重度污染，首次啟動環境空氣重污染二級應急響應，兩成公務車停駛，市長陳建華改坐地鐵上班。佛山、東莞亦受灰霾波及，珠三角多地污染嚴重。

穗10監控點 8個重度污染

近日（6日）空氣重污染再襲珠三角地區，多個地市出現灰霾天氣。廣州城區全部淪陷為「重度污染」區域：12區（市）中有10區（市）發布黃色灰霾預警訊號，市環境監測中心站10個國控點中，8個空氣質量屬重度污染，29個環境空氣質量信息發布點中，18個空氣質量指數超200。

同日，與廣州相鄰的佛山、東莞、深圳等珠三角城市亦遭受不同程度空氣污染。根據廣東省環境信息綜合發布平台的數據，6日17時，東莞市5個監測點中的4個空氣質量指數超200，呈現重度污染；深圳市區大部分監測點的空氣質量指數亦在130至150之間，呈現輕中度污染。

專家：工地揚塵未控 加重污染

昨日廣州街頭人們掩鼻而行，珠江江面濛濛一片。有專家指出，城區部分工地揚塵防控措施未落實，道路施工未有效採取灑水和覆蓋等措施，是造成廣州近期污染加重的主要原因。

此外，因未來2至3天控制廣州市的冷高壓逐日減弱，大氣層結趨向穩定，不利於污染物擴散，是以空氣質量仍將維持中度污染到重度污染水平。

廣州市環境空氣重污染應急指揮部組織應急專家組，分析廣州當前空氣污染形勢，並預測未來天氣形勢和空氣質量變化趨勢後，決定從昨晨6時起啟動環境空氣重污染二級應急響應，20%公務車將停駛。市長陳建華隨即兌現先前「承諾」，坐地鐵上班。去年陳建華曾在會上明確表態，一旦實施環境應急預案，上班時他將棄公務車而坐地鐵。

港口碼頭防塵 禁放煙花

本次《應急預案》將空氣重污染的預警和應急響應分為兩個等級：當預測環境空氣質量達到重度污染（未來48小時達201至300）時，實施二級預警，以橙色表示，與之相對應即為二級應急響應。

二級應急響應主要包括：停駛20%公務車、不穩定達標污染源停止排放、建設工地暫停含有揮發性有機溶劑的噴塗和粉刷等作業、強化道路保潔、港口碼頭防塵、全面禁止燃放煙花爆竹、全面禁止露天焚燒和燒烤、強化餐飲及加油站監管等11條強制性措施以及倡導調峰生產、錯峰上下班、公交出行、船舶減排等4條建議性措施和1條健康防護措施等。

20140104 HKET 內地污塵掩至 「半個香港爆燈」

【經濟日報專訊】新空氣質素健康指數啟用不足一周，市區路邊及半數區域污染水平均達最高10+嚴重級，入院風險增兩成，料與內地超細微塵PM2.5污氣團掩至，及靜風致本地污染難散有關。

事實上，去年路邊污染達「爆燈」水平的時數按年增近1成，逾四分之一時間港人走在路上都呼吸着超標的空氣。

去年1/4日子 路上吸超標空氣

昨日空氣污染嚴重，全港15個一般及路邊監測站當中，有9個都錄得最高的10+級別。

除了旺角、銅鑼灣及中環的路邊站，沙田、荃灣、觀塘、元朗、葵涌及深水埗的一般站，都一度達到10+級。以中環站為例，昨早11時已達10級，至下午6至9時持續錄得最高的10+嚴重級。

當達至「嚴重」級別，健康風險指數增加近兩成，即入院人數由本來10人，增加至12人；而按環保署指引，達10+級時，患心臟或呼吸系統病者完全不可留在戶外，全民亦應減少在該區戶外逗留，學校則不建議上體育課。

環保署解釋，因本港昨日風勢微弱，增加了懸浮粒子及二氧化氮水平，同時不利污染物擴散，加上受區內的臭氧影響，健康風險級別上升。該署預計，下周初降雨前，空氣污染仍維持偏高水平。

其實除了本地污染，正在內地集結、細至可入心入肺的PM2.5污氣團昨掩至本港，傍晚6時本港情況最嚴重時，沙田、葵涌及3個路邊監測站均錄得10+嚴重級，這正是污氣團擴散至本港的時間（見圖）。

促與內地簽訂 多項減排措施

健康空氣行動行政總裁鄺芯妍指出，PM2.5細小易吸入肺，造成各種呼吸道疾病；內地的PM2.5會隨着東北季候風吹至本港，在內地污染傳入與本地產生污染的雙重效應下，本港的空氣污染水平料將繼續高企，促政府推行本地管制措施的同時，亦應落實與內地簽訂的多項減排措施。

事實上，本港路邊污染前年一度改善後，去年又惡化。截至上月29日，中環、銅鑼灣、旺角3個路邊監測站去年共有2,279小時超標，比前年全年增190小時，增幅9%，而去年超標時數佔總時數26%。

環保署解釋，因路邊的二氧化氮水平呈上升趨勢，推高路邊污染指數，政府正着手推行新增管制措施，以降低路邊二氧化氮的濃度。

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20131230 Sing Dao_空氣質素健康指數今生效

環保署今日起推出「空氣質素健康指數」Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)，取代沿用近20年的「空氣污染指數」。Environmental Protection Department (EPD) Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)
新指數會檢測空氣中四種污染物，即臭氧、二氧化氮、二氧化硫、粒子的三小時平均濃度，其中粒子濃度細分為可吸入懸浮粒子（PM10）及微細懸浮粒子（PM2.5），後者為新納入計算的污染物。 

清晨6時，一般監測站的指數介乎4至5，健康風險級別屬於中等。三個路邊監測站指數是5至6，級別亦是中等。

環保署表示，新指數與健康風險掛勾，較舊指數更能反映空氣狀況，又指計算方法較以往嚴謹，預計出現「甚高」或「嚴重」水平的日子會較以往多，但不代表空氣質素轉差。