Air clean-up needed in smog-filled Beijing

Air clean-up measures could be required in Beijing, after the Chinese capital was blighted by thick smog yesterday (October 31st).

The metropolis is renowned for its pollution problem, as its inhabitants continue to up their energy consumption.

Much of China's power is still produced from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, meaning carbon dioxide emissions are high.

The government has been forced to close roads and suspend flights in and out of the city due to the density of the fog.

Director of the Institute of Public and Environment Affairs Ma Jun explained the problem to China Daily.

"Fog is the liquefaction of vapour in the air, which should be transparent in colour, while the dim haze we are suffering is smog, the combination of pollutants and fog," he commented.

Last month, the Chinese government revealed that it would pump trillions of yuan into a water clean-up project, as rapid economic growth has resulted in 40 per cent of the country's rivers becoming polluted.

Posted by Joseph Hutton