Can air pollution in a city of over 17 million people be brought under control in six years?
When Beijing was announced the host of the 2008 Summer Olympiad in 2001, the Chinese government promised to clean up their air. Heavily reliant upon coal as a fuel source and with a rapidly-growing modern economy, air pollution has been a serious problem for the ancient city. Other polluted host cities, such as Athens and Los Angeles, enacted emission controls to make the environment as clean as possible during the Games, in an effort to protect the athletes and spectators. All the same, the efforts in Beijing may not be enough, as smog continues to be an issue.
The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics sparked a long-term clean air initiative to continue efforts made to provide "crystal clear" air for the Games. Set in a basin that traps the smoggy haze generated by millions of automobiles, such a program is an immense undertaking. But the Beijing programs are more dramatic.
Clearing the Air in Beijing, MSN.com