Severe smog hovers over Beijing on Day 2 of red alert

The ministry of environmental protection claimed that emergency measures cut pollutant emissions in Beijing by 30 percent between the start and late afternoon on Tuesday – day one of the city’s first red alert for smog.

Automakers including Tesla Motors (TSLA.O) and Beijing Automotive Group’s [BEJINS.UL] electric vehicle subsidiary say they have seen an uptick in potential buyers asking about pure electric cars in Beijing because of the pollution – though many don’t dare leave home to do so.

The index is strongly linked to levels of the risky tiny particles PM2.5, which at midday ranged from about 200 to 250 micrograms per cubic meter downtown – or 8 to 10 times the safe level recommended by the World Health Organization.

“I still need to work”, he said, but “I feel relieved about the schools’ cancellation of classes, because my daughter can stay at home and I don’t need to worry about her breathing bad air”.

China is getting a $300 million loan from the Asian Development Bank to help clean up its smog-choked capital.

The strong winds forecast for Thursday are expected to dissipate the particulate matter that is parked over the region, but the red alert likely will remain in force until then, impacting families and businesses alike.

China has issued its first ever red alert on pollution as the country, especially the capital Beijing, faces poor air quality.

Several shops said they completely sold out the air purifiers. The policies mean, too, that the sources of the pollution that afflict Beijing are not really being addressed by this city’s red alert regulations: Most of the pollution comes from coal-burning factories in Hebei, Henan and other provinces, not from Beijing itself.

However in lots of different cities in northern China, the state of affairs was much more dire.

Meanwhile, the China Research Academy of Environmental Sciences also conducted a real-time analysis on the cause of air pollutants in the area.

The reason behind the thick smog is the vehicular emission, dust from construction sites, coal-based industries and heating systems and these being supported by the prevailing weather conditions.