Xinhua news:
China reports cities suffering from severe air pollution (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-09/05/content_5051885.htm)

--So bad!!! :ohno:

Quite surprising that Beijing wasn't on the list..

The fact that Beijing is not on the list tells you exactly how devastating the situation is, there are so many cities with far worse pollution than Beijing, which is quite infamous itself.

Beijing recently gave up on the "blue sky project" which targets a certain number of days out of a year that you can see the clear blue sky. By June, Beijing already knew that it would not be able to make the target number for 2006, because almost every day was smoggy.

I really don't know how they are going to deliver a reasonable breathing environment for the athletes in 2008. Oh well, I won't be visiting in 2008, so I'll just watch TV.

Could the games be cancelled because of air pollution?

Describing Beijing as smoggy can only from someone who hasn't been to Beijing frequently or not at all.
Beijing's main air problem comes from blowing sand from the desert in spring times, not the smoggy weather like Shanghai or past time London. Olympics is scheduled to start on the 8th of Aug, so the sands will be avoided.
Said that, enviromental protection is really really needed in China now. I wish the gov would have much more strict controls over factories and all. Otherwise, not to mention the Olympic athletes, Chinese people themselves are suffering. btw, I wouldn't think the Games would be cancelled like that.

^^ I lived in Beijing for a month...

I think this is even more concerning:

"...The report found that only 22.94 percent of sewage was treated in the cities surveyed and less than 20 percent of household garbage was handled properly. It said 178 cities examined had not built any sewage treatment facilities and 130 cities had not been equipped with garbage disposal plants..." :runaway:

I'd say that No.1 priority for China is tackling pollution now.
Rach, air pollution in Beijing is no worse than a lot of other Chinese cities, what I meant is that when we say beijing's air is filthy, we normally mean the sad that goes with it.

^^ True that... I know there are lots of Chinese cities that are way more polluted.

I cannot imagine what is happening when almost 80% of the cities dump sewage [u]untreated[/] into the rivers...

The government plans to close factories during the Olympic Games to further reduce air pollution.

Reducing pollution is one major task for the gov in the current 5-year plan.

Xinhua news:
Beijing studies air pollution ahead of Games (http://news3.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-09/08/content_5063933.htm)

^^ True that... I know there are lots of Chinese cities that are way more polluted.

I cannot imagine what is happening when almost 80% of the cities dump sewage [u]untreated[/] into the rivers...

The Chinese gouvernemnt plans to build over 20.000 sewage treatment centres around the country till 2010. Most sewage treatment centres will be located in big and medium size cities and town. This also means that villages far away from cities and town won't have this benifit soon.

China is big and too populous.

It is sad to think that the Chinese people are suffering from the industrial rise. I hope the Olympic athletes don't suffocate on the fumes. This would be bad publicity for Beijing.

The Chinese gouvernemnt plans to build over 20.000 sewage treatment centres around the country till 2010. Most sewage treatment centres will be located in big and medium size cities and town. This also means that villages far away from cities and town won't have this benifit soon.

China is big and too populous.

Glad to hear that!! IF everything goes as planned, how many percent of sewage will go straight into our fluvial systems untreated by 2010?

It sounds like Beijing is going through the industrial revolution. Now all they need are some chimney sweeps.

Glad to hear that!! IF everything goes as planned, how many percent of sewage will go straight into our fluvial systems untreated by 2010?

For cities and town more than 80% of waste water will be treated. For remote villages probably less than 30%. It will take at least another decade to improve the villages, but on the other hand villages have less hazzardous waste than cities with modern industries.

Not again! :doh:
Xinhua news:
Half of Chinese cities suffer from bad air pollution (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-10/24/content_5243163.htm)

Yellow sand from China is bad. Give me it somehow or other.

Yellow sand from China is bad. Give me it somehow or other.

This is NOT because of air pollution, but DESERTIFICATION. China is already battleing for this by planting more trees.

The air quality yesterday in Shanghai was most likely the worst I've experienced since I arrived last year. This needs to be addressed quickly!

Yellow sand from China is bad. Give me it somehow or other.
ｊａｐさん，あなたの英語がわかられないね，ちょっとまっずいな、日本で習った?LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Why isn't catalytic converters mandatory on cars sold in China?