Clearing the Air for the Olympics

China is expecting more than 3 million visitors, from both at home and abroad, to flock to Beijing this month to cheer on the 10,500 athletes competing in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. In preparation for the games, Beijing has more than doubled the capacity of its subway system and built a dozen new venues to host Olympic events. However, for all the things that Beijing has added to prepare for the games, one of the biggest problems for spectators and athletes alike is what officials have been struggling to remove from the city: pollution. Why is pollution such a huge problem in Beijing, and how do city leaders propose to eliminate it for the games? The answer is an interplay of politics, economics, energy, and climate—let’s take a closer look.

In recent years, China has experienced unprecedented industrialization and economic growth. Since the late 1970’s, when China instituted major economic reforms to open trade with the outside world and promote a free market economy, its gross domestic product (GDP) has grown ten-fold, now ranking second in the world, eclipsed only by the United States. As a result of this rapid economic growth, there was a corresponding rapid expansion of industry, particularly manufacturing and construction, which together make up nearly half of China’s GDP.

Still, it was not the expansion of industry that doomed Beijing to a smoggy, haze-filled existence, but rather energy policy. China is the world’s largest consumer of coal, generating around two-thirds of electricity from coal-fired power plants. As the rapid industrial expansion fuelled an ever-increasing demand for energy, Chinese officials responded by building new coal plants—by one estimate, two new coal-fired power plants open in China every week.

Despite efforts both in China and worldwide to reduce the environmental impact of coal power, it remains a very dirty method of generating electricity, releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas), and more importantly for air quality, soot and particulate matter, as well as sulfuric and nitric acid—key components in acid rain. While China has some of the world’s strictest environmental laws on the books, enforcement has been sporadic, and by the government’s own estimate, two-thirds of Chinese cities are considered polluted, and acid rain affects around 30% of the country. Some of the heaviest effects are localized near the capital city of Beijing, making matters particularly difficult for Olympic officials.

In an effort to resolve the problem, Beijing has mandated extraordinary restrictions to both industry and private citizens to curb pollution during the Olympic games. Half of the city’s 3.3 million cars have been removed from the roads, the government mandating that even and odd license plate numbers may only drive on alternating days. More than two hundred factories in and near Beijing have been told to close their doors (or at least shut down their smokestacks) for the duration of the games, along with another hundred coal-fired power-plants. Major restrictions have also been placed on other heavily polluting industries, such as steel, concrete, and chemical production.

Even with these drastic measures already underway (enforcement began on July 20), Beijing is worried that the air may still not clear in time for the games. A long period of hot, humid weather has kept existing pollution in place over the city; though pollution has been reduced by 20% as of July 31, it remains well above the targets set for the beginning of the games on August 8. Officials remain hopeful that the weather pattern will change and the sky will clear—and if it doesn’t they’re considering even harsher measures, such as further restricting driving privileges within Beijing and surrounding areas. In the end, though, only time (and Mother Nature) will tell whether the world will see a sparkling skyline or a smoggy soup when all eyes turn to Beijing for next week’s opening ceremonies.




Story is © Nate Snook, 2008