A new team of environmental police will try to reduce hazardous levels of toxic smog engulfing Beijing. The city's acting Mayor said, the police will look for local sources of air pollution, including open-air barbeques and dusty roads. The Mayor has also promised to reduce coal consumption by 30 per cent this year.<br/><br/>Many residents have been forced to stay in their homes for days at a time to avoid breathing the poisonous air. The public has been calling on the government to do more to address major sources of smog, including reducing China's reliance on coal-fired power plants, the primary source of electricity in the country.<br/><br/>Officials say unfavourable weather conditions in the capital have prevented pollutants from dispersing.