It’s fine!

China’s smog issues have gotten so bad that residents have taken to leaving the country for “breathers,” vacations for the sole purpose of dodging air pollution. The government, meanwhile, oscillates between accepting that the pollution is an issue and pretending that it doesn’t exist. (New York Times)

In an effort to break the Chinese government’s silence, officials at U.S. embassies and consulates in the country have been recording pollution data and publishing it via Twitter. The results aren’t pretty. (Quartz)

Meanwhile, in India, the Delhi government has taken steps to reduce air pollution and poor garbage disposal at construction sites. At least they seem to care. (NDTV)

And closer to home, residents of Idaho’s Treasure Valley have been exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution after meteorological changes trapped emissions close to the ground. Regulatory bodies are now pushing for measures to curb congestion on highways and to tighten regulations on business emissions. (Idaho Statesman)

The tip of the iceberg via Shutterstock