orange alert in China

The Hebei Development and Reform Commission issued an orange alert on Tuesday, meaning the province is suffering a gas shortfall of between 10 and 20 percent. This lack of heat will have a great impact on the normal operation of both the economy and society.

Coal-fired boilers in a number of rural schools across Shaanxi have already been ripped out, leaving many children and their teachers in the cold.

The shortfall in natural gas has sparked complaints, both online and in real life.

Experts have warned that authorities should not sacrifice citizens’ safety simply to improve pollution control, and believe that local governments need to proceed cautiously to avoid disrupting people’s lives when temperatures are low.

Cold weather always leads to a shortage in natural gas, but this year’s situation is worse due to the government’s efforts to promote clean energy, Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Sunday.