Beijing issues first red alert as air pollution hits hazardous levels -Christa Hamby p1

summary: The pollution in Beijing has gotten so bad that on Monday the city's government issued its first "red alert" about the poor air quality and warned that the city would be covered in heavy smog until Thursday. China's leadership has vowed to crack down on environmental degradation, including the air pollution that blankets many major cities, following decades of unbridled economic growth. Air pollution is responsible for killing as many as 1.6 million Chinese people per year, according to a study by Berkeley Earth — a rate of roughly 4,400 people a day 

response: Meanwhile, back in the USA, the Republicans want to do away with the Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency, and ramp up coal production and use. That is how the so called modern civilization ruins this beautiful planet for the next generations to come. But there is another side to that statement. In the big picture economic growth is all that matters. Breathable air is a luxury that must be sacrificed so that we can enjoy the standards of living we expect. Its important to find ways to be sustainable as we move forward in time.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/07/asia/china-beijing-pollution-red-alert/index.html