China Red Smog Alert: Half of Car Population Banned

China has issued its first ever red alert over the alarming spread of smog in the country. The red alert will take place in the country's capital, Beijing, on Tuesday morning until Thursday midday, when an expected cold front will arrive in hopes of clearing the smog.

Schools were told to close, construction sites halted, several factories has to stop operations and almost half of the country's car population were issued limits for the red alert. Vehicles with plates of odd and even number will be alternately banned.

The China red smog alert is reportedly the highest possible warning level that can be given a country that has high levels of pollution.

According to the BBC, as of Tuesday 07:00 local time, the US Embassy in Beijing reported via an air pollution monitor that the city's levels of PM 2.5, a highly poisonous chemical found in the air, were at a high with 291 micrograms. The safe level is 25 micrograms, as mandated by the World Health Organization.

Over the weekend, state-owned CCTV news reported that Beijing had a visibility of only 200 meters.

The China red smog alert takes place as China, considered to be the world's largest polluter, participates in the Paris Summit where action on carbon emissions were agreed upon.

According to the New York Times, Chinese cities, especially those in the north, are known to be some of the world's biggest air polluters, with industrial coal burning playing a major role. Despite the shutdown of factories now, Chinese leaders have reportedly done such action only during international summit meetings such as the one underway in Paris.

Chinese officials have been disinclined to commit towards reducing carbon emissions, the BBC reported. However, they have reportedly realized that they need to put an end to fossil fuel dependence.

During the ongoing Paris Summit, Chinese officials have again promised to mitigate the effects of global warming and curb coal use.

"This week in Paris, China is rightfully getting credit for its policies to tackle climate change," said Law Professor Alex Wang who studies Chinese environmental policy at the University of California. "But the extraordinary air pollution in Beijing right now demonstrates just how much remains to be done to make these policies work in practice."

The impacts of the China red smog alert and other efforts made by the country to go green are not immediately apparent. However, they reportedly hold eventual impacts on the world's carbon dioxide emissions. Just this year, a report claimed that carbon dioxide levels have stopped rising and have even decreased slightly.

The China red smog alert may not immediately curb the country's alarming air pollution, but in the long term, it could play a big role in solving the world's carbon crisis.