For the first time, Beijing has issued Tuesday an air pollution Red Alert after acrid-smelling haze returned to the Chinese capital. Estimates show the smog kills 4,400 people every day, according to a study conducted by scientists at the University of California Berkeley.
Beijing officials braved the smog that blanketed the capital to reassure the Beijing residences that drastic actions are being implemented. Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun walked to Tiananmen Square and spoke to residents who wanted to know about the condition of the city.
The mayor previously pledged to cut off his head if could not find a solution to the deadly air pollution.
Health officials are concerned for dangerous tiny particles in the polluted air known as PM 2.5, which can go straight into the bloodstream. Tuesday's reading show the number of pollutants is at 300 -- 12 times the safety limit issued by World Health Organization.
The red alert forced the closing of schools to protect children. Moreover, the government imposed shutting down of some factories and driving restrictions, according to Bloomberg. The warning is at the highest level since the introduction of an emergency air-pollution response system in 2013.
The issuance of "red" pollution warning means the Chinese government is taking drastic measures to combat air pollution and protect the health of their residents, according to Dr. Bernhard Schwartlander, the WHO's representative in China.
For a long-term solution, experts said China should overhaul dirty industries beyond the city limits. However, many local government officials are reluctant to limit the factories that bring a tremendous amount of profits for the city.
In a study conducted by scientists at University of California, Berkeley, they found air pollution in China kills about 4,000 people day. The deadly smog accounts for one in six premature deaths in the world's most populous country.
Furthermore, the smog surge in China coincided with COP21 climate change talks in Paris.
In a report from CNBC, Chinese negotiators at UN talks in Paris are being accused of trying to weaken the global solution to combat global warming. In fact, one of the negotiators described China's moves as "very frustrating."
"China is supporting a general stocktaking review of countries' pledges every five years but wants any updating of the carbon dioxide emissions reduction targets contained in these plans to be voluntary," the report published.
Carbon dioxide traps the heat on Earth that should radiate to space. China is considered as one of the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide. The communist country accounts for 27 percent of carbon emissions in the world.
The Climate Change talks in Paris aims to control the level of global warming at 2 degrees Celsius. Climate experts said if the global temperature exceed that level, it will result in massive flash floods, drought, and famine.
