Beijing warns residents ahead of heavy smog

City authorities in Beijing issued an emergency pollution alert for the first time on Thursday, forecasting heavy smog over the next three days, Reuters reported. The city warned residents to reduce outdoor activities and told construction sites to control dust. Pollution is an increasing concern for China’s leaders as affluent city dwellers turn against a growth-at-all-costs economic model that has damaged the country’s environment. Severe pollution in Beijing has made it “barely suitable” for living, according to an official report published earlier this month.