The capitals of the world’s two most populous nations, China and India, were blanketed in hazardous, choking smog on Monday as climate change talks began in Paris , where leaders of both countries are among the participants. China’s capital Beijing maintained an “orange” pollution alert, the second-highest level, on Monday, closing highways, halting or suspending construction and prompting a warning to residents to stay indoors. The Chinese smog was 25 times higher than World Health Organization maximums for particulate levels of major air pollutants including ozone and carbon monoxide; last month it reached levels 50 times over those limits. Emissions in northern China soar over winter as urban heating systems are switched on and low wind speeds mean that polluted air has not been dispersed. The choking pollution was caused by the “unfavourable” weather, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said Sunday. Meanwhile in New Delhi, a thick smog blanketed […]