China Chokes on Smog as World Leaders Talk Climate Change

As world leaders discussed climate change at the U.N. conference in Paris on Monday, millions in China were choking on the most severe air pollution of the year, NBC News reported. 

The air-quality index exceeded 700 — well above the hazardous level — in Baoding, which as classified as China's most polluted, with residents struggling to see through the thick haze of smog on Monday.

Poor conditions were also reported in other parts of northern China, including the capital.

China is the world's biggest emitter of carbon pollutants. According to World Bank, China's emissions amounted to 11 billion tons in 2013, nearly twice as much as America's 5.8 billion tons. The two countries account for almost 40 percent of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions.

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