I remember being in Los Angeles for the Olympics where the same predictions were made. Didn't happen. A lot of remedial actions cleared the air in time. I'll bet 10 that Beijing will be the same.
Does anyone know of any measures/statistics that would indicate how the pollution the Los Angeles of 1984 would compare with the pollution in today's Beijing?
(Tokyo in 1964, Seoul in 1988 and Athens in 2004 would also be interesting to look at.) Cynicism is intellectual treason.
Figure 1 below depicts the trend from 1980 to 1990 in ambient ozone, showing the maximum ozone concentrations measured in the Basin for the respective year along with the concentration that caused it to be either above the state or the federal 1-hour standards, respectively. The reason that these values are different is due to the different definitions of the standards both in their numerical threshold values and the statistics used for defining exceedances. Air Quality During the Los Angeles Olympics As depicted above 1984 - the year of the Los Angeles Olympics - did not stand out in terms of its overall Ozone patterns. The data for the Basin as a whole exhibits a maximum concentration of 0.35ppm and there were a total of 97 Stage I Smog episodes in which the 1-hour ozone concentrations were over 0.20ppm. The Los Angeles Olympic games were held July 28th to August 12th in 1984. That 16 days period of characterized by relatively low ozone levels in the inner city, near the Los Angeles memorial coliseum. Figure 2 presents the maximum 1-hourl Ozone concentrations measured at the North Main Street air monitoring station during the Olympic games. The figure shows both the maximum 1-hour atmospheric concentration values as well as the number of hours above the California standard (> 0.09ppm).
Air Quality During the Los Angeles Olympics As depicted above 1984 - the year of the Los Angeles Olympics - did not stand out in terms of its overall Ozone patterns. The data for the Basin as a whole exhibits a maximum concentration of 0.35ppm and there were a total of 97 Stage I Smog episodes in which the 1-hour ozone concentrations were over 0.20ppm.
The Los Angeles Olympic games were held July 28th to August 12th in 1984. That 16 days period of characterized by relatively low ozone levels in the inner city, near the Los Angeles memorial coliseum. Figure 2 presents the maximum 1-hourl Ozone concentrations measured at the North Main Street air monitoring station during the Olympic games. The figure shows both the maximum 1-hour atmospheric concentration values as well as the number of hours above the California standard (> 0.09ppm).
The charts are worth the click on the reference. Odin, I am certainly glad I am not living there now. It is funny, all the snickering about the Chinese ruling party having to breathe the same air. In LA, the ruling wannabees and their lawyers all live in a ring of hills, while us prols swelter in the flatlands. The smog rises and hovers, of course, placing its tendrils exactly where their view is. Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
