Beijing to close down coal plants to cut pollution

Beijing plans to replace its coal plants with natural gas fuelled power stations by the end of 2013 in addition to other efforts to reduce air pollution, Financial Times reported. In hopes central urban areas will be completely coal-free by 2015, Beijing plans to replace its coal plants, promote natural gas vehicles, crack down on issues of dust at construction sites and better control auto emissions. But critics are not convinced of Beijing’s push to clean up the air. Beijing is notorious for manipulating its air pollution data and for not enforcing environmental rules. Moreover, according to officials, a quarter of Beijing’s air pollution comes from surrounding areas. “China’s air pollution is not a one-city problem, but a regional problem,” said Zhou Rong, a climate pollution campaigner for Greenpeace.