| Sixteen of China's cities have been found to | | | | has simply outpaced all predictions made when |
| have the most polluted air on Earth. The air | | | | the city won the Olympic bid in 2001. |
| pollution in Beijing is the worst of all the | | | | |
| cities in China. Air pollution is one of the | | | | In addition, Beijing has also passed some of |
| many environmental side effects of the 2.1 | | | | China's most ambitious environmental |
| billion tons of coal produced and burned in | | | | measures, and in 2005 it embraced 22 tough |
| China last year. Air pollution has led to | | | | new rules, including strict controls on |
| significant health problems for the Chinese. | | | | industrial smoke, automobile exhaust fumes, |
| A study by a Chinese research institute found | | | | and construction dust. Tighter vehicle |
| that 400,000 premature deaths are caused | | | | emissions standards were adopted in 2003, and |
| every year by diseases linked to air | | | | some public buses now run on alternative |
| pollution. China's Ministry of Science and | | | | fuels such as clean natural gas. Meanwhile, |
| Technology reports that 50,000 newborn babies | | | | the city's heaviest polluters, such as coking |
| are killed by air pollution a year. | | | | plants in the southeastern suburbs, have been |
| | | | relocated to neighboring cities, a move that |
| Beijing already suffers traffic congestion so | | | | has subsequently raised concerns about |
| severe that cars sometimes idle on the | | | | worsening air pollution in these areas. |
| freeways for hours, emitting tons of carbon | | | | |
| based pollutants and producing smog. | | | | Several weeks before the 2008 Summer |
| | | | Olympics, in an effort to reduce air |
| Factories surround Beijing and emit large | | | | pollution, the government of China will begin |
| amounts of soot and carbon. Ozone, a | | | | shutting down industries that emit vast |
| colorless gas and critical pollutant arising | | | | quantities of soot and carbon into the |
| in large part from car exhaust and factory | | | | atmosphere surrounding the city. Though the |
| emissions, regularly goes unmeasured in | | | | government has yet to release a list of the |
| Beijing. | | | | industries and factories it will close, |
| | | | various news accounts and official statements |
| With 10 months to go before next August's | | | | indicate that virtually every factory in the |
| Olympic games, air pollution is Beijing's | | | | greater Beijing area will greatly reduce |
| biggest problem in its otherwise smooth | | | | operations or be completely shuttered for a |
| preparations. Recently, the United Nations | | | | period of several weeks, and that nearby coal |
| Environment Program criticized Beijing's | | | | mining operations may be shut down as well, |
| progress on cleaning its air as slow and said | | | | or at least slowed, before and throughout the |
| some pollution exceeded World Health | | | | Olympics. In addition, auto traffic will be |
| Organization standards. | | | | severely curtailed within Beijing. Clouds may |
| | | | be seeded to the north of the city in order |
| Health experts are speculating whether it is | | | | to bring rain and minimize the hideous |
| even feasible for Olympic athletes to run a | | | | Mongolian dust storms that commonly plague |
| marathon through streets where respiratory | | | | China's capital. |
| particulate levels average 3-4 times U.S. | | | | |
| safety levels. Olympic athletes are concerned | | | | Beijing is also considering a regional |
| as well. Two weeks ago, two Ethiopian | | | | pollution-prevention-and-control mechanism to |
| middle-distance running champions announced | | | | clean up the air for the Olympics. This |
| they would forgo some events because of the | | | | includes information sharing and feedback |
| "disgusting weather and air pollution." New | | | | systems; such as, pollution source monitoring |
| Zealand and American athletes say they will | | | | and discharge data reports, air monitoring |
| wear face masks if necessary. Some countries | | | | data reports, air quality alarm reports, and |
| are delaying their teams' arrivals in Beijing | | | | air pollution prevention and reduction |
| until the last possible moment to protect | | | | conferences in various cities and provinces. |
| their athletes' performance. | | | | |
| | | | However, Olympic athletes may never know the |
| Two months ago, IOC (International Olympic | | | | real dangers of the air in Beijing. Beijing |
| Committee) president Jacques Rogge said | | | | does not regularly measure or evaluate some |
| Olympic officials were prepared to take the | | | | serious pollutants, including ozone and some |
| unprecedented step of postponing some events, | | | | types of fine particulate matter that can |
| particularly endurance competitions, if the | | | | easily be inhaled deep into the lungs. |
| air pollution was too severe. | | | | Meanwhile, they have refused to publicly |
| | | | release figures on the amount of pollutants |
| However, China has spent more than the $12 | | | | at any given location, such as the Olympic |
| billion they promised for pollution control | | | | Village or Tiananmen Square, preferring to |
| for the Olympic Games. The air pollution | | | | stick with a citywide average. |
| problems remain because the country's growth | | | | |