Many ignore Beijing smog warnings despite first pollution ‘red alert’

A blanket of humid, still air resulting in smog that is expected to shroud Beijing for at least three days triggered the capital's first ever pollution “red alert” on Tuesday as many residents ignored warnings to limit their time outdoors. Environment Minister Chen Jining called a special meeting on Monday night to urge more supervision in Beijing and its surrounding cities including Tianjin as he increased the number of environmental inspection teams to 12, according to ThePaper.cn, a state-backed news website. Although smog has always been a public health concern in Beijing, the government's response system has come under extra scrutiny in the past week because it came under heavy criticism for not issuing a red alert during an episode of heavy smog which exceeded hazardous levels.

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Many ignore Beijing smog warnings despite first pollution ‘red alert’