Paris Gets a Taste of Beijing-Style Smog

Paris, along with several other cities in northern France, is in the midst of a multi-day air pollution crisis, with pollutants hovering at dangerous levels. In response to the pollution, authorities have waived fees on Paris' extensive public transportation system in a bid to discourage car use.

A persistent area of high pressure is causing the smog — it is effectively putting a lid on the atmosphere over Paris and northern France, promoting sinking air and light winds. Such conditions have trapped pollutants at low altitude, cloaking Paris' elegant city scape in a milky haze. The pollution is a risk to human health, since certain forms of atmospheric particles can seep into the lungs and cause a variety of health hazards, particularly among the young, elderly, and others with compromised immune systems. Read more...