Photos taken by Bobak Ha'EriChina’s smog problem is nothing new and when they were awarded the bid for hosting the 2008 Olympic Summer Games, they vowed to have a “Green” Olympics in Beijing.
Now, only 10 days before the start of the Olympics, China is covered in yet another blanket of thick smog. This smog is composed of industrial pollution, automobile exhaust and contruction dust, all of which cause health concerns for Olympic athletes and spectators.
The government is taking drastic measures to clear the air; but at what cost to the people who live and work in Beijing and the surrounding cities? Ninety percent of cars will not be allowed to start up, factories (reportedly up to 100 miles away) have been shut down and the economic system has come to a virtual standstill in a final effort to clear the air in time for the Olympic Games.
“Beijing's air quality is not up to what the world is expecting from an Olympic host city; the sports teams have reason to be concerned," Greenpeace's campaign director, Lo Sze Ping in Beijing, said during a news conference on Monday. Ping attributes this condition to what he describes as a "develop first, clean up later" mentality to economic growth.
But is it too late to clear the air? Beijing won its’ bid to host the Games in 2001 promising to clean up the environmental quality of the city in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Du Shaozhong, an environmental protection official, indicated that the city had lived up to its’ promise. "Indeed, we have reached our commitment to make sure air quality is satisfactory for the Games".
Dr. Patrick Schamasch, the IOC's medical and scientific director likewise said,
"Today, there is nothing critical preventing an athlete from running, except the visibility, I can tell you it's mist more than smog."
Evidently, several athletes and Olympic committees do not see the "stuff" in the air as "mist".
Now, only 10 days before the start of the Olympics, China is covered in yet another blanket of thick smog. This smog is composed of industrial pollution, automobile exhaust and contruction dust, all of which cause health concerns for Olympic athletes and spectators.
The government is taking drastic measures to clear the air; but at what cost to the people who live and work in Beijing and the surrounding cities? Ninety percent of cars will not be allowed to start up, factories (reportedly up to 100 miles away) have been shut down and the economic system has come to a virtual standstill in a final effort to clear the air in time for the Olympic Games.
“Beijing's air quality is not up to what the world is expecting from an Olympic host city; the sports teams have reason to be concerned," Greenpeace's campaign director, Lo Sze Ping in Beijing, said during a news conference on Monday. Ping attributes this condition to what he describes as a "develop first, clean up later" mentality to economic growth.
But is it too late to clear the air? Beijing won its’ bid to host the Games in 2001 promising to clean up the environmental quality of the city in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Du Shaozhong, an environmental protection official, indicated that the city had lived up to its’ promise. "Indeed, we have reached our commitment to make sure air quality is satisfactory for the Games".
Dr. Patrick Schamasch, the IOC's medical and scientific director likewise said,
"Today, there is nothing critical preventing an athlete from running, except the visibility, I can tell you it's mist more than smog."
Evidently, several athletes and Olympic committees do not see the "stuff" in the air as "mist".
- The United States Olympic Committee and other delegations have made protective masks available to the athletes.
- U.S. swim team head coach and general manager, Mark Schubert, said USA Swimming had asked the USOC for protective masks about 18 months ago, due to athletes with asthma.
- The Ethiopian marathon world record holder, Haile Gebrselassie, withdrew from the 42km event a few months ago stating "The pollution in China is a threat to my health and it would be difficult for me to run 42km in my current condition. Gebrselassie is asthmatic.
- Australian Olympic officials have given their athletes the opportunity to withdraw from events in Beijing if they are concerned about their health without the usual consequences.
- Great Britain's women's hockey team has wearing red contact lenses in an attempt to improve their vision in the smog of Beijing.
The opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing will be held in the Beijing National Stadium on August 8th. Hopefully the air qulity will have improved by then.
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