Olympic Weather

maycm · Post by **maycm** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:03 pm

So with only days to go before the games start the shroud of pollution continues over Beijing.

An interesting website to take a look at is the following.

The James Fallows environmental archive

Take a look at how things were (scroll down the page), how they improved till about 10 days ago, and how they are now. An interesting page to watch in the run up to the games.

At this rate you won’t be able to see the athletes at 100 yds.

Post by **faceless** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:13 pm

that's really bad still - if I was an athlete I'd seriously consider not taking part if the event was outdoors. Sucking that filthy air right down to the bottom of your lungs? no thanks!

They're just going to have to ban cars completely and only have public transport, delivery vehicles and bicycles if they want to solve it.

Post by **eefanincan** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:28 pm

I saw this on the news this morning and couldn't believe the smog! I honestly cannot understand why we're sending our athletes to this country between the environmental and political issues going on.

maycm · Post by **maycm** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:39 pm

From Bloomberg:

Beijing's air pollution index rose above the 100-barrier for the past four days, more than double the WHO maximum recommendation of 50. The readings fell into China's "unhealthy for sensitive groups" category.

As many as 25 percent of Olympic athletes suffer from asthma, which causes airways to swell and produce mucus, reducing oxygen supplies to straining muscles. The International Olympic Committee has said it will reschedule events next month if athletes' health is at risk.

Australian athletes won't be forced to compete if they are concerned about pollution, Peter Montgomery, vice president of the Australian Olympic Committee, said today.

"We always knew air quality was going to be a challenge," said Craig Phillips, secretary general of the AOC, at a news conference in Beijing. "It's something we can't control."

Greenpeace, in a report released today, said China could have done more to improve air quality and that the world "had reason to be concerned." The report, "China After the Olympics: Lessons From Beijing," said Beijing had failed to monitor ozone, produced in especially large quantities in summer months, and smaller particulates. Ozone is a component of smog.

"Despite their best efforts, Beijing's air quality to date probably is not up to what the world expects from an Olympics host city," Lo Szeping, campaign director of Greenpeace China, said at a press conference in Beijing.

Twirley · Post by **Twirley** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:12 pm

It's a wonder they ever got the games in the first place. I wonder what Brtain's and USA's OCs will say if the IOC doesn't reschedule events.

maycm · Post by **maycm** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 2:17 pm

Here's another website, which was suggested by way of todays update on the page above.

https://www.asiasociety.org/beijingair/#room-with-a-view

Big swings in air quality and smog - you can see where a strong wind came through on August 2nd, then back to the horrible stuff again on August 4th.

Post by **faceless** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 2:42 pm

I was watching BBC24 earlier today on a live feed and you could hardly see the Bird's Nest Stadium even though the reporter was only a few hundred metres away... and on checking that site, Maycm, it's not as bad as it was on Tuesday!

I'm amazed that they even considered it for Beijing. There's so many other cities which could have done it - but on checking it seems the smog's a national problem.

I wonder if they publish lung-cancer stats?

Post by **faceless** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:00 pm

[web]https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 546872.stm[/web]

So the atmosphere is completely safe - as long as you're not exposed to it for more than an hour! It's nice to know that the head of IOC cares so much.

maycm · Post by **maycm** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:18 pm

In which case we'll try to tell the athletes not to breathe for the other 23 hours of the day then.

Post by **faceless** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 4:08 pm

I'm just watching the end of the opening ceremony and have to marvel at the massive naked flame and huge amounts of fireworks that are helping to redress the pollution balance that shutting down all the factories put out of kilter!

It has been a great show though - those lassies in the white skirts who stood there bouncing and waving while all the teams filed in deserve an award!