Weather authorities want to see holiday ban on fireworks
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="With">With</span> <span word="heavy">heavy</span> <span word="smog">smog</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="central">central</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="eastern">eastern</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Thursday">Thursday</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Saturday">Saturday</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="meteorological">meteorological</span> <span word="authorities">authorities</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="calling">calling</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="ban">ban</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="fireworks">fireworks</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="senior">senior</span> <span word="official">official</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Wednesday">Wednesday</span>.</p><p><span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="traditionally">traditionally</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="ear">ear</span>-<span word="splitting">splitting</span> <span word="firecrackers">firecrackers</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="holiday">holiday</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="belief">belief</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="ward">ward</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="evil">evil</span> <span word="spirits">spirits</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="bring">bring</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="luck">luck</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="ahead">ahead</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="authorities">authorities</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fireworks">fireworks</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="greatly">greatly</span> <span word="contribute">contribute</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="pollution">pollution</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Firecrackers">Firecrackers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="fireworks">fireworks</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="release">release</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="amounts">amounts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="toxic">toxic</span> <span word="gas">gas</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="particles">particles</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="sulfur">sulfur</span> <span word="dioxide">dioxide</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="cause">cause</span> <span word="severe">severe</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="pollution">pollution</span> <span word="regionally">regionally</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Chen">Chen</span> <span word="Zhenlin">Zhenlin</span>, <span word="spokesman">spokesman</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="Meteorological">Meteorological</span> <span word="Administration">Administration</span>, <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="news">news</span> <span word="conference">conference</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Tuesday">Tuesday</span>.</p><p><span word="Sales">Sales</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fireworks">fireworks</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="flat">flat</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="Saturday">Saturday</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="major">major</span> <span word="fireworks">fireworks</span> <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="optimistic">optimistic</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="sales">sales</span> <span word="figures">figures</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Firecrackers">Firecrackers</span> <span word="seem">seem</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="gradually">gradually</span> <span word="losing">losing</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="appeal">appeal</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="holiday">holiday</span> <span word="celebrations">celebrations</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Wu">Wu</span> <span word="Liyu">Liyu</span>, <span word="head">head</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span> <span word="Fireworks">Fireworks</span> <span word="Co">Co</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="State">State</span>-<span word="run">run</span> <span word="company">company</span>. "<span word="We">We</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="reduced">reduced</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fireworks">fireworks</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="roughly">roughly</span> 13 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="confident">confident</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="fireworks">fireworks</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="stock">stock</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="sold">sold</span>."</p><p><span word="According">According</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="quality">quality</span> <span word="data">data</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="level">level</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="PM">PM</span> 2.5 <span word="particles">particles</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="surged">surged</span> <span word="dramatically">dramatically</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="years">years</span>. <span word="On">On</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Year">Year</span> <span word="Eve">Eve</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="were">were</span> 1,486 <span word="micrograms">micrograms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="PM">PM</span>2.5 <span word="particles">particles</span> <span word="per">per</span> <span word="cubic">cubic</span> <span word="meter">meter</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="Health">Health</span> <span word="Organization">Organization</span> <span word="considers">considers</span> <span word="PM">PM</span> 2.5 <span word="levels">levels</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="safe">safe</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="below">below</span> 25 <span word="micrograms">micrograms</span> <span word="per">per</span> <span word="cubic">cubic</span> <span word="meter">meter</span>.</p>
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