Smog red alert measures cut Beijing’s pollution by 30%

Schools restarted and the streets opened to all traffic on schedule from midday, after the predicted arrival of a cold front overnight that blew away the worst of the pollution.

Pollution red alerts spread to more cities as Beijing entered its third day of heavy smog, with officials warning poor conditions could last until Saturday in some places.

An air-quality index posted on the website of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing read 351 on Wednesday night at 6 p.m., meaning PM2.5 levels were still at hazardous levels.

Factories in Beijing that make goods from cement to train cars were shut down to help ease the Chinese capital’s pollution crisis.

Meanwhile, in an analysis coming from Paris, it is said that For China its air quality is an important factor in its push for a new global deal on climate change.

Beijing had imposed the red-alert – the highest on a four-color scale, following a forecast of high pollution for three consecutive days. They also claim of having managed to increase their primary energy consumption through non-fossil fuel sources by 58% in the year 2013-14 alone.

The levels of air pollution have not come down much despite allowing odd- and even-numbered cars on specific days which has eased pressure on roads.

Blow your nose and even wipe down your skin after being outside – the smog really can get everywhere!

Automakers including Tesla Motors and Beijing Automotive Group’s [BEJINS.UL] electric auto 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. Most of the smog is blamed on coal-fired power plants, along with vehicle emissions, construction and factory work.

The Beijing city government sounded the alarm on Monday, triggering a range of automatic restrictions, such as closing schools. Toxic air now causes as many as 4,000 deaths a day, according to a study earlier this year by Berkeley Earth, an independent research group. As China’s capital woke up to its first-ever “red alert” for smog, the skies outside were a noxious gray, but the air inside the small storefront was crisp and clean, alive with the mechanical whirring of several air purifier machines.