Apple, JPMorgan and Honda all gave their Beijing employees face masks. And when the LPGA came to Beijing, the world’s top female golfers did as the Beijingers do.

​Golfers practicing for a tournament in Beijing wore masks to guard against the air pollution.
​Golfers practicing for a tournament in Beijing wore masks to guard against the air pollution.
Image: AP Photo / Alexander F. Yuan

Air pollution’s economic toll became more obvious

In the past, the World Bank has projected that China loses 4.3% of GDP to health costs associated with air and water pollution. But that’s always been abstract. This year, China’s economy took a hit on numerous fronts due to air pollution. Tourism, for instance, has begun to suffer, as Beijing saw a 15% decline in overseas visitors in the first half of the year.

Tourists walk along the Great Wall on a hazy day in Juyongguan, as the opening day of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games approaches, August 4, 2008. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini
Tourists climb the Great Wall on a hazy day.
Image: Reuters/Stefano Rellandini

In October, a blinding layer of pollution—so bad “you can’t see your fingers in front of you”—forced the city of Harbin to close schools, roads, and the airport, and its 11 million residents were told to stay home.

​A cop braves Harbin’s October smog.
​A cop braves Harbin’s October smog.
Image: Reuters/China Daily

Pollution caused hundreds of flight cancellations around the country. The aviation regulator instituted new rules requiring senior pilots on flights into and out of Beijing to be able to land in low visibility.

An aircraft parks in heavy haze at Beijing airport on January 28, 2013.
An aircraft parks in heavy haze at Beijing airport on January 28, 2013.
Image: REUTERS/Jason Lee

The government finally decided to do something about the smog

During Chinese New Years, Beijing encouraged residents to lay off the holiday tradition of launching fireworks, causing a 37% drop in fireworks sales from the previous year. The government also made the questionable move of cracking down on Beijing’s outdoor barbecues.

But the government finally made a move to address the real culprit. The government announced in September a 1.7 trillion yuan ($277 billion) plan to reduce the smog by cutting the use of coal and decreasing emissions from cars, with Beijing aiming to lower PM2.5 levels by 25% by 2017.

A statue of China’s late Chairman Mao Zedong is seen in front of buildings during a hazy day in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on May 7, 2013.
A statue of China’s late Chairman Mao Zedong is seen in front of buildings during a hazy day in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on May 7, 2013.
Image: REUTERS/Stringer

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