China is doing the right thing.



Xinhua - English

BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- China is able to ensure a good air quality during the Olympic Games, fulfilling its commitment made seven years ago for the Olympic bid, an official said on Tuesday.

The environment authorities in Beijing are keeping a close watch over major pollution indices everyday, including sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matters, said Zhang Lijun, deputy head of the State Environmental Protection Administration.

"Three indices have met national standards due to years of efforts, and we promise the index of particulate matters will also meet standards during the Olympics," he said at a press conference held on the sidelines of the annual session of parliament.

Beijing has input 120 billion yuan (16.9 billion U.S. dollars) in improving the air quality in the past years, and the number of "blue sky" days, or days with fairly good air quality, increased to 246 last year from 100 in 1998, he said.

Meanwhile, Beijing's neighbouring municipality Tianjin, the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are lending a hand to the capital to attain anti-pollution goals, he said. Work in these areas includes closing major polluters, removing outmoded cabs and reconditioning gas stations to capture harmful chemicals.

Speaking of climate change at the press conference, Xie Zhenhua, vice minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission, pledged that China will take effective measures to control greenhouse gas emissions while developing economy.

"China is also willing to cooperate with the international communities to tackle climate change," he said.

China says can ensure good air quality during Olympics_English_Xinhua

hope they keep it up

China is horrible when it comes to pollution. Out of the top 15 most polluted cities in the world most reside within China. This pollution costs China over 10% of its GDP every year and it has contaminated 60-80% of all of its domestic water supply to the point of not being consumable.

China is cleaning up one city for the Olympics. It wants to put on a show of being like the western European countries but it is all really just a front.

Even China's booming economy is greatly miscalculated with poverty rates being much higher than was originally thought and with its GDP as much as 40% lower than the World Bank first thought (not to mention the additional 10% loss due to negative externality effects).

China's production habits are also devisating its neighbors as well.