2008 Beijing Olympics Go Green

Jin

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Beijing, as the host of the 2008 Olympics is showing its huge support for a greener world by taking extreme measures to reduce emissions and clean up pollution as much as possible. On the request of the organizing committee, the Olympics will show just how important it is to take care of the world we live in and hopefully jumpstart everyone's participation for a cleaner planet Earth.

Beijing's environmental authorities have instituted a variety of pollution cutting measures for the 2008 Olympic Games like traffic bans within the city, using electric powered buses and solar powered Olympic venues as well as closing nearby factories and shutting down construction sites to reduce smog. China has also instituted cloud seeding to basically "wash" the air pollution away as part of the city's whopping $17 billion anti-pollution program. The centerpiece of this effort is to have the main Olympic stadium called the Bird's Nest to be visible during the games. As seen from the construction phase to its completed form now, a marked improvement can be seen owing to the efforts by the Chinese.

The traffic bans within the city have virtually cut the amount of emissions produced from cars and trucks by 50%. And by having only cars with even numbered license plates drive on one day and odd numbered drive the next, the government has reduced not only the pollution level but cut traffic congestion in half as well in a city known for its traffic nightmares. Residents are generally supportive of these measures as public transportation, scooters, and bicycles are generally able to get them where they want to go if they can not drive their cars.

While the forced factory shutdowns are aimed at reducing the amount of pollution from the surrounding regions from smoke stacks and associated smog from trucks employed by the factories, this may have a negative impact on the Chinese economy down the road as productivity will drop roughly 10% for the region while they are closed for the Olympics. Add to the fact that most Chinese are in a holiday-like mood due to the fact they are hosting these games, they are more into supporting their national team than anything else, including work, thus productivity may further fall.

China's attempt at cloud seeding has yet to be seen. Reports have surfaced that China has an army of rain modifiers equipped with anti-aircraft guns with cloud-seeding agents. Their hope of cloud seeding is to cause rain to flush pollutants out of the air and also to prevent rain from spoiling the outdoor events. But experts say there is no evidence that weather modification on such a large scale is even possible.

While the results of these "Green" measures may not significantly change the overall pollution picture of Beijing for the games, certainly the significant effort on part for the Chinese government can be clearly seen. Both China and the Olympic Committee are fully committed to having a truly green as possible spectacle showing the world that you can have a cleaner planet Earth.

2008 Beijing Olympics Go Green

2008 Beijing Olympics Go Green

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