Pollution shrouds Beijing as Games approach

Beijing warned old people and children to stay indoors for the sake of their health on Oct. 26 as a hazardous haze enveloped the city less than a year before the Olympics. Amid concerns that some events at next summer's Games may have to be postponed if the air quality does not improve, officials advised citizens to wear face masks to reduce the risk of contracting lung diseases. China's capital has spent billions on pollution control measures in the run up to the Olympics, but despite an improvement in the official figures, the city is still regularly plagued by thick smog. The visibility was so poor on Oct. 26 that skyscrapers disappeared in the haze and more than 180 flights had to be delayed at Beijing International Airport, including a high-profile demonstration by the new Airbus A380 superjumbo, which was on a tour of China. According to the Environmental Protection Administration, pollution levels in Beijing were the highest of the 86 major cities in China. But they were still well short of the year's worst. The municipal government's daily air quality index reported "slight pollution" but high levels of particulate matter. Officials said the low visibility was mainly due to fog. But Beijing's chief forecaster, Sun Jisong, told the Xinhua news agency that the elderly and the young risked contracting respiratory diseases if they went outside. "Wear a face mask if you have to go out today," he advised. Such warnings are so common, however, that few people pay any attention. The environment has become a major headache for the organizers of next year's Games. Earlier this week, an inspection team from the International Olympic Committee expressed concern about the impact of pollution on the athletes' performances. "The air quality is a big problem," said the team leader, Hein Verbruggen. He expressed confidence that the situation would improve thanks to extra measures planned for next summer, including the possible closure of factories and restrictions on more than a million cars for the duration of the Games. If that does not work, however, he said outdoor endurance events, such as the marathon, might have to be delayed for one or two days. Beijing has stepped up its fight against pollution by switching its 1,100 coal-burning power plants to gas, reducing emissions of sulfur and nitrogen dioxide from the five main electricity generators and cutting production at the biggest iron company by 4 million tonnes. More than 2,000 old buses and 5,000 taxis are being upgraded or replaced with cleaner models. The subway line network has been almost doubled to 125 miles. But it has struggled to keep up with its fast growing economy that adds 1,000 new cars to the traffic every day and fills the city with building sites, which are a major source of dust. A report by the UN Environment Program this week advised Beijing to move more quickly to deal with the problem, noting some types of pollution exceeded World Health Organization safety standards. Even the municipal government's less ambitious goals are often missed. The city aims to keep the level of particulate matter below 100mg a cubic meter. Environment agency officials say anything between 100 and 150 affects the health of vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and people with weak lungs. On Oct. 26, the level was 184.