Beijing's heavy smog results in the sun being televised for residents

Residents of Beijing, China have recently seen air pollution levels rise to even greater concentrations, resulting in the issuing of health warnings. The thick smog that has recently been experienced has meant that the only glimpse of the sun that residents have seen is the sunrises and sunsets that are televised on huge digital screens throughout the city.

The screens, which are usually used for promotion purposes, have been used to show the rising and setting sun as pollution levels have skyrocketed to around 25 times higher than those judged to be safe by the World Health Organisation (WHO), resulting in thick smog lying low over Beijing. 

As well as the images of the sun, the screens are also being used to remind residents that everyone is responsible for reducing air pollution.

Friday (January 17th) saw warnings issued by the US embassy in Beijing due to the "very unhealthy" levels of air pollution it had recorded. The embassy said that the conditions experienced in the city could be particularly damaging to individuals that suffer from cardiac or respiratory illnesses, as well as the elderly. 

Residents are being advised to limit the amount of time they spend outside and to refrain from strenuous activity until conditions have improved.

In an effort to reduce air pollution throughout Beijing, the mayor of the city, Wang Anshun, announced on Thursday (January 16th) that coal use throughout the city would be reduced by around 2.6 million tonnes. 

Mr Wang also stated that vehicles that create high levels of emissions would be banned. A total of 15 billion Yuan (£1.5 billion) is to be spent on air quality improving schemes and technology, with new research being undertaken into the creation of air pollution-reducing technology. 

Despite efforts to improve air quality throughout the city last year, the director of Beijing's Municipal Environment Monitoring Centre, Zhang Dawei, told the Xinhua news agency that serious pollution was still experienced in Beijing for 58 days out of 2013.