The economic and human costs of high urban pollution

"For the past few days, Beijing has been covered by a thick blanket of smog, forcing the closure of several highways and the cancellation of hundreds of flights. The US embassy in the Chinese capital has warned that air quality has reached hazardous levels and, according to media reports, hospital admissions have risen by almost a third."

THIS short BBC report shows a scientist taking his child out of school because he judges pollution levels too dangerous for the child to be outside. There are increases in hospital admissions as a result of the smog and presumably many work and education days lost to illness. The lost human capital and work effort will directly contribute to lower economic growth this year and for many years to come. A nice illustration of the economic of high pollution.