Beijing - shrouded in gloom

Here is some of the Washington Post’s report by Maureen Fan in Beijing:

“While uncontrollable factors such as the weather have worked against the city, many problems are entirely man-made. The largest contributing factor to Beijing’s air pollution is vehicle emissions, Du has said in the past. Thanks to growing public demand and friendly government policies toward car manufacturers, Beijing adds more than 1,000 cars to its streets every day.

“Despite the new figures, Du argued that the capital’s air quality was actually better compared with the same period last year because the concentrations of major pollutants - such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide - were reportedly down 20 per cent.

“Beijing does not make public data on two of the most dangerous pollutants that can harm the respiratory system - ozone and fine particulate matter. The latter has been found to enter the bloodstream and cause heart attacks and strokes in sensitive individuals.

“In a last-minute push to help clear the skies, the government imposed a series of Olympic-related restrictions that kicked in Sunday.

“In addition to mandating alternate-day driving based on odd and even license plate numbers - which is supposed to remove 45 per cent of the city’s 3.3 million cars from the streets - Beijing opened Olympic traffic lanes, stopped all but essential truck traffic, staggered work hours, added 2,000 buses, beefed up subway service and halted all construction work involving earth, stone and concrete.

“Since Sunday, the city’s air pollution index readings have been 55, 65, 67, 89, 113 and 110. Last Aug. 8, a year before next month’s opening ceremony, Beijing’s air pollution index was 88.”

Visitors gather at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square July 27, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Beijing was swathed in smog on Friday just two weeks ahead of the Olympics as its notorious pollution defied aggressive steps aimed at clearing the air for next month’s Games. However, Chinese officials brushed off concerns about the city’s stubborn smog, which has triggered a warning by IOC chief Jacques Rogge that some events could be postponed if air quality is poor.

“Sometimes it looks like it’s a foggy day, but the air quality is actually good,” Sun Weide, a spokesman for the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee, told AFP.

“Our confidence is based on our 10 years of effort (to clean up the air). We are now implementing a continued plan to ensure clear air during the Olympics.”