BEIJING AIR CONCERN FOR OLYMPICS By Mure Dickie in Beijing
Friday, October 26, 2007
High levels of air pollution are a “legitimate concern” for anyone taking part in next year's Beijing Olympics, according to the UN Environment Programme.
In an otherwise generally upbeat independent environmental review of the August 2008 games released yesterday, the UNEP said levels of small particulate matter in Beijing's air remained far above World Health Organisation safety levels.
The report underscores widespread worries among international athletes and sports officials about air quality in the Chinese capital, with some already planning to try to reduce their time in the city by arriving only shortly before the events they compete in.
Despite Beijing's “strenuous efforts” to reduce emissions, the widespread use of coal and a growing number of vehicles meant progress in improving air quality was slow, the UNEP report said.
It cited Chinese official figures as showing that concentrations of important pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide had increased in 2006, after falling in previous years. “On the basis of the data . . . air quality remains a legitimate concern for Olympic organisers, competitors and observers, as well as for the citizens of Beijing,” the report said. Fine particulate levels were often twice as high as WHO-recommended safety levels and sometimes more, it said.
The UNEP played down the prospects for any fundamental resolution of air problems ahead of the games, saying it was “commonly accepted” that “improving air quality cannot be accomplished in a short period”.
The report will strengthen pressure for stronger temporary action to ease pollution during the Olympics. Beijing already plans to ban up to half the city's car population from the road, but Liu Qi, the capital's Communist party chief and top games organiser, has said it is not planning to force nearby factories to suspend production.
International Olympic Committee inspectors visiting Beijing yesterday acknowledged pollution might force the rescheduling of some events next August, but expressed confidence that special measures would help clear the air, according to Associated Press. “As far as we're concerned, there is no blame to be addressed,” AP quoted IOC team leader Hein Verbruggen as saying. “We all know that the development of this country and the development of this city has accelerated or enhanced the air quality problems.”
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