Regional haze adds up

The China Meteorological Administration and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences released a green paper on climate change on November 4. It reveals that 30 to 40 percent of Beijing's PM2.5 pollution comes from surrounding regions, the Beijing Daily reported.

Song Lianchun, director of the National Climate Center, said there have been 49 hazy days during 2013 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and that PM2.5 levels were excessive on 79 days. The increase is attributable to higher energy consumption, airborne dust and general atmospheric circulation. The green paper also mentions that haze may jeopardize respiratory and immune system functioning as well as reproductive health.

The name of the green paper is Annual Report on Climate Changes Actions (2013), and it was published by the Social Sciences Academic Press of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in this week.