Less than two weeks before the Olympics, Beijing's skies are so murky and polluted that the authorities are considering emergency measures during the Games beyond the traffic restrictions and factory shutdowns that, so far, have failed to clear the air, state media reported on Monday. For the past five days, Beijing has been a soupy caldron of humid, gray skies. Local pollution ratings have exceeded the national standard for acceptable air since last Thursday, despite a temporary air pollution control plan that began on July 20. Under that plan, officials have used odd-even license plate restrictions -- limiting motorists to driving on alternate days, depending on whether the last number on their license plate is odd or even -- to reduce daily traffic by two million vehicles, or more than half the city's total. Production at some factories has also been curtailed in Beijing and outlying areas. But on Monday, China's official English-language newspaper, China Daily, ran a front-page story under a boldfaced headline: "Emergency green plan for Games." The article warned that officials might force far more vehicles off city streets -- possibly 90 percent of the city's total -- and temporarily close more factories.
For the past five days, Beijing has been a soupy caldron of humid, gray skies. Local pollution ratings have exceeded the national standard for acceptable air since last Thursday, despite a temporary air pollution control plan that began on July 20.
Under that plan, officials have used odd-even license plate restrictions -- limiting motorists to driving on alternate days, depending on whether the last number on their license plate is odd or even -- to reduce daily traffic by two million vehicles, or more than half the city's total. Production at some factories has also been curtailed in Beijing and outlying areas.
But on Monday, China's official English-language newspaper, China Daily, ran a front-page story under a boldfaced headline: "Emergency green plan for Games." The article warned that officials might force far more vehicles off city streets -- possibly 90 percent of the city's total -- and temporarily close more factories.
And what I wonder about for a while: does thew high leadership breathe a different air, or why was it no problem for them until the Olympics? *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
A/C that keeps out the Beijing pollution? Doubt it. Maybe the relatively small number of people at the very top. And even they have to go outside once in a while.
lovely country mansions
Even if they did, you would probably have to go pretty far out of Beijing to get some fresh air in the "country".
No, I think the "high leadership" lives and works in the same air as the plebs.
Some colleagues of mine in Beijing (Chinese both) expressed a mixture of wonder and bitter satisfaction at this thought. Cynicism is intellectual treason.
Good question. A job I was hoping for in Beijing looks like it's going to fall through. That may be a blessing in disguise.
And what I wonder about for a while: does thew high leadership breathe a different air, or why was it no problem for them until the Olympics?
They do not breathe a different air. It may have been a problem, but a problem that had much less priority than others, in particular, how to make China rich, strong and stable again.
Incidentally, back in the 60's into the 70's, the pollution in Tokyo was so atrocious, that people were wearing masks in the streets. (Recall that the 1964 Olympics were held in Tokyo.) The Japanese high leadership that lived and breathed in Tokyo was also prioritizing other problems (like making Japan rich, strong, and stable again) over pollution. Cynicism is intellectual treason.
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
