Pollution Problems in China

What Will Happen With the Olympics This Year?

from JoeUser Forums
Did you hear the latest news about the upcoming Olympics in China? There seems to be alot of controversy surrounding this world wide event. My son, who is an assistant sports editor for a newsroom, said there is much coming over the news wires right now about this.

They may be canceling much of the Olympic activities due to pollution. All the endurance events may be canceled. Events such as running, biking and any outdoor activity would be squashed. He's wondering how Josh is going to feel about this. My son was planning on being there for his friend and for the experience of attending such a tremendous event. Now, as a newsroom editor, he can go for the business end of it as well.

Maurice Green, the sprinter even retired in order not to go through with this upcoming Olympics due to the heavy pollution. Many are questioning what this will do to their careers and health. It must be pretty bad for all this hoopla to be happening.

China is making an incredible stadium to redeem themselves. At least six people have died in the building of this stadium. From first accounts there was some denial but now have admitted to at least six deaths. So this will certainly be an unfolding story in the coming months. We'll have to wait and see what happens.

8,370 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
China - a first world power struggling with third world problems.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top

Yuk.

The pollution is probably just an excuse.  I've lived in 3rd world countries with bad pollution, and none of them were as bad as Denver or Los Angeles on a smoggy day.  In fact, when I lived in Denver, they put out pollution warnings for people with asthma, or breathing problems, and tell them they should stay inside that day and not go out.

Gross.

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Ever hear of the Asian brown cloud? Yeah, it's a huge cloud of nasty stuff hovering over Asia, specifically the China area.

In fact, I recall hearing that breathing the air in China is like smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.

Lovely. :) But that's what you get when you rush towards industrialization without caring about the environment. That and all the new cars the Chinese are driving because their economy is booming.

They're also building a huge dam and flooding a lot of land...in order to do that they have to forcibly remove people(and they don't get any money for it, they just have to move). It's called the Three Gorges Dam.


In fact, when I lived in Denver, they put out pollution warnings for people with asthma, or breathing problems, and tell them they should stay inside that day and not go out.
End of quote


Sounds like the same problem as Mexico City. Mexico City, like Denver is pretty high up on the ol' sea level and in a rather mountainous region. The air is thin, so the pollution spreads quickly(also, more carbon monoxide is produced because of the lack of oxygen) and because there are mountains it can't exactly blow away very effectively.

Kudos to my geography professor from last semester for teaching us all this stuff.

~Zoo
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
ya, so who would in their right mind want to run a marathon in all this?

Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Well the Maurice Green retirement thought appears to be have had a rather different take in every news story I've been able to fine, eg.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article3304939.ece
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/7225654.stm
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/04/sports/athletics4.php
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-7279810,00.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080204/sp_wl_afp/athleticsusagreene_080204231607.

The US Olympic group appears also to have a rather different take the issue of air pollution.
http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/official/ioc/n214119154.shtml

Perhaps there is just a tad of scare mongering?
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
Well here's a link and a quote dated today from CNN which says there is definitely a big problem here. They are discussing how to handle it. Distance runners are thinking of not participating. Here's a comment from one.

"But not everybody is convinced, including the world's greatest distance runner."If there are serious problems, of course ... it's better not to come," Haile Gebrselassie said on a visit this week to Beijing. "My priority if just to live and keep my health."

Link