Smog is becoming a major headache for the Chinese as the Beijing Olympics approaches. In fact it is so bad that the English hockey team is training with red lenses, which will apparently assist with visibility in Beijing’s smog filled conditions.

In typical Chinese fashion they are taking drastic action. Beijing has closed numerous factories and ordered almost a third of the nations cars off the road (1 million of the 3.3 million cars have been temporarily banned) according to Mail Online.

Cars are banned on alternative days according to their license plate numbers with many government vehicles ordered off the roads.

If this doesn’t help ease some of the pollution the Beijing government has plans to ground 90 percent of private cars and will close more factories.

Of particular concern is Beijing particulate matter measures, they have particulate matter 10 microns in diameter (PM10), which is above WHO standards and even Chinese national standards. A measure of PM10 is about a seventh the thickness of a human hair.

For the last 4 days Beijing has not experienced a ‘blue sky day’.

Picture of red lenses