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Four Years, Little Progress on Beijing Air Quality

Posted on Saturday, 19 July 2008 by neeners01

For four years, Beijing officials have known their air quality contains toxic levels beyond acceptable levels. For four years, Olympic officials have known the main causes of the unhealthy air quality in Beijing. For four years, the problems have been identified and solutions noted. For four years, focus has remained on the Olympic infrastructure. Where is their priority? Hasn’t the health of those participating in the games considered a larger issue?

Smog at the Olympics has been a topic of much research over the past four years…ever since Beijing was selected to host the 2008 summer games.

Officials claim they are still working to determine what to do about the games, but time is running out. The games begin on August 8th. Because solutions seem to be few, athletes have actually come up with their own solutions, including training in polluted air to prepare for the heavy smog under which they will compete. Trainers are responding with a resounding “NO.” But, they have recommended that athletes arrive in Beijing at the last possible moment to limit their exposure to the toxic air quality in that area. In addition, high quality air masks may become commonplace around the athlete village.

Ozone and particulate matter are the two main ingredients in the ambient air in Beijing. These are two of the five most dangerous air pollutants with carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide being the other three.

According to a New York Times article written by Juliet Macur and printed in January, “Pollution levels on a typical day in Beijing, some researchers say, are nearly five times above World Health Organization standards for safety.” Those levels could increase depending on the way the wind blows. Olympic Stadium is north of the city; therefore, prevailing northerly winds could worsen the air quality over the stadium.

In response the problem, Beijing officials claim they have been working to cut back on emissions from local polluters during the two weeks of the games. According to a release on the Olympics’ official website, “enterprises in smelting, building materials, and petrochemical sectors had worked out a detailed production suspension or emission cut plan.” In addition, the article noted that more than 150 heavily polluting industries in Beijing and its surrounding areas have agreed to stop production during the games.

The question still remains: They have had four years to improve their air quality, which would not only benefit the incoming athletes but their own residents as well. Why have they seemingly waited until now to work on air pollution resolutions?

Current additional news – Beijing air quality

Related links at this site:

– Nina M. Bell, CFRE

References:
The Official Website of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games: http://en.beijing2008.cn

Macur, J. (2008). Olympic teams vying to defeat Beijing’s smog. The New York Times. Available here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/sports/othersports/24mask.html?_r=1&oref=slogin.

Four Years, Little Progress on Beijing Air Quality
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One Response

  1. Stephen Fox, on July 20th, 2008 at 12:33 Said:

    Australia Cognizant of Beijing Smog Danger, Sending Team from Hong Kong Training Camp for Event Only; Olympics President Asked to Remove Triathlon, Marathon, and Cycling Out of Deadly Smog

    Stephen Fox

    Because of concern about air quality, most of Australia’s track and field athletes will miss the Aug. 8 Olympic opening ceremonies in Beijing. With events beginning after Aug. 15, one week after the opening, Athletics Australia has chosen to hold its pre-Olympic training camp in Hong Kong. Competitors will then fly to Beijing three or four days before their events.

    “As many sports have said, China presents difficulties for athletes going in and being there for a period of time,” Athletics Australia national performance manager Max Binnington. “Anything more than five or six days and they inevitably end up with some sort of respiratory problem. So that was why many of the sports who don’t have to be in there early are choosing not to go in. And the outcome is that it’s almost impossible to go for the opening ceremony.” Australia’s triathletes will also miss the opening ceremonies for similar reasons. “Most of our athletes have accepted the decision straight
    away.”

    Sun Weide, a spokesman for the Bejiing organizing committee, stated that nations could be flexible for the opening ceremonies. “Every team can arrange its schedule according to its own plan,” Sun said. “As for the environmental problems, we’ve said many times that we’re confident that we can provide clean air during the Olympic Games.” A plan for Beijing’s notoriously clogged traffic include half of the city’s 3.3 million vehicles being banned each day, using an odd-even system from registration plates.

    “Generally those competing of the first day or the second day don’t march, standing up for eight hours a day or so before competition isn’t a medically smart thing to do,” AOC spokesman Tancred said. Australian and Hong Kong physicians have backed this up: see “Medical Experts Say Olympians Face Health and Performance Difficulties in Beijing’s Air Pollution from Hong Kong and Australian Physicians: Even Spectators Should Worry!” at: http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspxid=52625&ret=AccountDtl.aspx, an article by Tan Ee Lyn.

    Despite IOC President Jacques Rogge’s “Beijing air pollution cheer” a few days ago from Lausanne, Switzerland, in which he basically dismisses all of these concerns, I would like you to be aware of my latest articles, which we refer to by URL in order to bring you the photo essay on Beijing smog:

    [Title: Jacques Rogge and Olympic Committee: Please move Marathon,
    Triathlon, and Cycling out of Beijing's Deadly Air Pollution! Carbon
    Monoxide, Industrial Pollution,Lead,Particulate Matter, Ozone]

    http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=52987&ret=AccountDtl.aspx
    _______________________________

    Please also see earlier article:
    http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=52585&ret=AccountDtl.aspx

    [Title: Beijing's Infernal Air Pollution Will Kill A Few Olympic Athletes; Most US Athletes Will Wear Masks While Preparing for Their Events]

    If you know Olympic athletes, physicians, sports enthusiasts, and
    internationally minded people, please forward this to them, and to friends and colleagues. If you comprehend that we could prevent a few athletes from inevitable expiration in the Beijing smog, you can also email Mr. Rogge directly:
    http://www.olympic.org/uk/utilities/registration_uk.asp?prm_action=req

    Stephen Fox, Contributing Editor Santa Fe Sun News
    stephen@santafefineart.com

    Photo Essay: Close Up of Bird’s Nest Stadium Engulfed in Beijing Smog: http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/01JI8wJ5zmffG/610x.jpg

    http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/07/10/a-month-before-the- olympics-beijing-still-failing-air-quality-test/

    http://thinkorthwim.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/yutian-pollution.jpg

    http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/10/25/beijing_narrowweb__300×375,0.jpg

    One by my sardonic wise friend, James Fallows, Washington Editor Atlantic Monthly:
    http://www.chinaherald.net/uploaded_images/BJpollution-761160.jpg

    Reply

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