Pictures of Tsinghua Hall from December 1 to December 27 to show the air quality of December
Photo / Wenyu Fang
A December of Beijing without Smog
These pictures of Tsinghua Hall were taken at the same site and at 9:30 every day for consecutive 27 days from December 1st to December 27th. To fully illustrate the air quality of December in Beijing, I recorded the AQI and PM 2.5 readings as well when taking pictures.
Despite the freezing temperature, Beijingers are in a pleasant surprise that they are usually enjoying clear skies this winter. The heavy smog which used to blanket Beijing this time of the year has largely been absent and instead clear blue skies have, unexpectedly, shone through on most days.
Based on the graphic below, the AQI of 16 days out of 27 reached “excellent” level, taking up 60% of the recorded period, while only one day’s air quality is “lightly polluted”. During the first 27 days of December, the average of AQI in Beijing reads 55, which is literally in a “good” level.
AQI Standard of Mainland China
(cited from Wikipedia)
Furthermore, the average reading of PM2.5 stood at 38 micrograms per cubic meter since the city officially turned on the heating for the winter on November 15, compared with an average of 93 in the previous four years, Xinhua reported. According to Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, this was the lowest November total for five years.
According to official data released on December 15, the number of heavy-pollution days in Beijing fell to 21 in 2017, compared with 58 days in 2013.
How did Beijing achieve?
The respite from smog is believed to be resulted from favorable weather as well as efforts to curb emissions.
The weather this winter, which was characterized by frequent strong winds and cold air, was an important factor in diffusing air pollutants. Strong gusts of chilly winds from Siberia have played a part.
Clear November and December also indicate that measures to tackle the city’s pollution problem appear to be having some effect.
Beijing has tightened environmental regulations this year, forcing the shutdown of factories which failed to meet environmental protection standards.
Cement and casting factories in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei (BTH Region) have been ordered to halt production during winter, while steel, aluminum and coking plants have had their operations restricted. Major construction projects in Beijing have also been brought to a halt.
Some “major livelihood projects”, such as railways, airports and affordable housing, will be allowed to continue if they secure special permission.
The government has also stepped up the shift from coal-based fuel to natural gas in both industrial and residential sectors in 28 cities in provinces surrounding Beijing. For 2017, the government aims to connect 3.5 million rural households in the region to gas pipelines. The total number could reach 37 million, estimates Bloomberg analysts.
A "Fragile" Improvement?
However, the campaign to switch households and businesses from coal to natural gas backfired, leaving many people in the regions without heating, cooking facilities or hot water in sub-zero temperatures.
In response, the government permitted areas without alternative heating installed to continue using coal. Even though these emergency measures will provide relief to residents lacking heating, the problems of shortage of natural gas and higher expenditure still remain in the air.
Severe natural gas shortages have sent prices soaring nationwide, hitting businesses and residents in northern China. Meanwhile, the problems have already prompted a re-think of the high reliance on gas
Ma Jun, a leading environmentalist in Beijing and the director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the South China Morning Post that there was no doubt that Beijing would meet a target to limit the city’s PM2.5 concentration to 60 microgrammes per cubic meter at the end of this year – the deadline for the city’s five-year plan to curb air pollution.
But he warned that the improvement was “fragile and unstable” and did not rule out the possibility that smog could return to the city once the weather reverses.
It is a challenge to sustain the anti-pollution measures over the long run. Everyone would appreciate usual clear skies. Nevertheless, rules need to be properly enforced to safeguard a smooth transition.