The smog of war

THE annual session of China’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress, is rarely remarkable for the rhetorical flourishes of the leaders who address it. But at the opening on March 5th of this year’s nine-day meeting the prime minister, Li Keqiang, in his maiden speech, deviated at least a little from the usual stodgy fare. China, he said, must “declare war” on pollution. The blanket of smog that often shrouds much of the country, he said, was nature’s “red light”, warning about the risks of “blind development”. Growing public furore about pollution has at last goaded China’s leaders into admitting the urgency of the problem.

On February 21st the capital issued its first “orange” smog alert since it introduced a new four-tier warning system last October, with orange as its second-highest level. The warning meant schools were supposed to suspend outdoor activities. As the noxious haze lingered, microbloggers expressed outrage that a top-level “red” alert was not issued. Many accused the government of failing to deal with the smog.