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China has long been plagued by air pollution problems. Rapid industrialization, the reliance on coal and the burning of fossil fuels, and a growing population of drivers have made China the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, surpassing the United States in 2007. As Beijing prepares to host the Olympic Games in August of this year, China’s government has moved to close factories in the provinces surrounding the capital to curb the pollution problem.

According to the World Health Organization, Beijing has the world’s most dangerous air, measuring 12 times the the “safe” levels suggested for respiration. Of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, China is home to the top 16. Authorities estimate that approximately 750,000 people die every year from respiratory illnesses related to pollution in the country. Chinese authorities and Olympic committee members are desperate and eager to put the right foot forward during the Games, and part of their challenge is to assure the world’s top athletes that it is safe to compete in Beijing.

For this reason, six municipalities and provinces near Beijing will see massive factory closures in the months leading up to the Olympics. Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shangdong, Shanxi, Tianjin, and Beijing have already begun to close polluting factories and power plants to improve air quality in the region. Factories being closed include coal-fired power plants, cement factories, and chemical manufacturers. China plans to curb driving in the capital city prior to the Games, and though specific plans have not been announced, the Financial Times is reporting that as many as 1 million cars may be temporarily banned from roadways.

All of these environmental measures come on the heels of major athletes and foreign team’s announcements that they will not train near Beijing for health reasons. Indeed, British athletes will wear face masks at the Olympics to protect themselves from the poor quality air. Olympic rules require the competitors to remove the masks before their events, but they are allowed during training and warm-ups. As the Sunday Mirror reports, “The International Association of Athletics Federations have the final say on whether they [face masks] can be worn once events start. If the rule is changed many British athletes will be keeping them on.” According to the Sunday Mirror, the only team which had set up a training facility in Beijing was the U.S. boxing team, but they have since relocated outside the city due to the smog.

While Chinese efforts to improve air quality have been helping the situation, many in the financial world are concerned about the effects the factory closures will have on economic growth. China has consistently grown its economy by 10 percent each year, and analysts fear that it may slow significantly this year. However, if the efforts of the government produce a lasting solution to China’s air quality problems, slow(er) growth will be a small price to pay for a healthier population and a healthier planet.

The factory closures are just one of the many measures which China has taken to improve its environmental record prior to the Olympics. Many of the newly-built Olympic facilities incorporate energy-efficient and water-saving technology, including the stunning “Water Cube“, which will host aquatic events. Environmental watch dogs and journalists are hopeful that these green efforts will not be abandoned as soon as the Games are over. As Holger Preuss, and Olympic scholar and historian, told the Wall Street Journal, “[Environmentalism] may be one of the real Olympic legacies, and not the construction of great sport facilities.”

Monday, March 3rd, 2008 You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

By Haley January Eckels