In the News
February 8, 2022
Beijing was once notorious for its “airpocalypses,” with smog so severe schools shut down. But since 2013, pollution levels in China’s capital city have fallen by about half, according to a new report published by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.
Why it matters: The improved air quality will add about four years of life expectancy for Beijing residents, who have suffered from high rates of respiratory illness because of poor air quality.
Yes, but: Beijing’s air is still three times more polluted than Los Angeles’, one of America’s most polluted cities. There’s more work to do.