Beijing skies clear after long air pollution drive
(8 Feb 2022) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4364944 Beijing's iconic Drum Tower and Bell Tower loom over a group as they twist colorful ribbons overhead, mixing yellow, red and green with the crisp blue of a clear winter sky. This blue sky greeting Olympic athletes in Beijing this month is a stark change from just a decade ago when the city's choking air pollution was dubbed an "airpocalypse" and blamed for scaring off tourists. Beijing's air still has a long way to go, but is measurably better than past years when smog often made it difficult to see nearby buildings and people wore masks to protect themselves from pollution, not COVID-19. During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, smog covered the city and obscured the sun. After pollution hit record levels in 2013 and became a source of international attention and widespread public discontent, China launched an ambitious plan to improve its air quality. That was also around the time the country bid on this month's Winter Games. The ensuing efforts were similar to the measures China had previously taken to ensure clear skies for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, but on a larger scale, the report notes. Tougher emissions standards were imposed on coal-fired plants and the number of cars on the road was curbed to cut vehicle emissions. Local officials were given environmental targets, and coal-fired boilers in homes were replaced with gas or electric heaters. The government's reporting of air quality data also improved. Despite the progress, Beijing's annual average air pollution last year was still more than six times the limit laid out by the World Health Organization's guidelines. Still, Chinese officials hail the country's achievements. Last year, they say there were 288 days of good air quality days in Beijing, compared to 176 days in 2013. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
