'Airpocalypse' Is an Opportunity for China and India

Even as negotiators were completing a new global accord on climate change last week, a lung-burning haze choked two major world capitals, infuriating residents and reigniting debate about the costs of headlong development. As China and India rush to clean their cities' hazardous air, they can take this opportunity to make progress against climate change as well.

Responding to previous bouts of public anger over air quality in Beijing and Delhi, leaders in both nations have laid down stiffer standards for smokestacks and car exhaust, shut urban factories and power plants, and limited the number of cars and trucks on the road. Such basic regulations haven't always been followed, however, and more drastic measures haven't made a lasting difference.