That Beijing cough
January 25th, 2008 by Kim
A interesting article in the New York Times on Thursday about the measures US Olympic athletes are taking to prepare for Beijing’s notoriously bad pollution.
I took the above photo in January 2005 from an overpass on one of the grayer days in Beijing. On the worst days, you wouldn’t be able to make out the tall buildings in the distance because of the “wuran” (pollution).
When I lived in the city, the “wuran” was definitely something you noticed. Returning from a short walk to the Carrefore down the street, your clothes would smell foul and if you blew your nose, the tissue would turn black. Lovely.
Some researchers say that pollution levels on an average day in Beijing are as much as five times above World Health Organization safety standards. Many athletes with asthma are worried that the bad air conditions will exacerbate their breathing difficulties.
Trainers are telling athletes to avoid training in Beijing if at all possible and are even working out ways for them to possibly compete wearing masks or other super-secretive breathing devices that would give them an advantage over the competition.
Many news sources are really zeroing in on this issue of Beijing’s pollution. Beyond the danger to Olympic athletes, however, the article also mentions how any masks or other gadgets used by American athletes to protect themselves from the pollution could become a political issue:
The I.O.C. spokeswoman Sandrine Tonge said the international federation for each sport made the rules on what athletes can and can’t wear in competition. So it is conceivable that some athletes will wear masks during their Olympic events, but Mr. Wilber [the lead physiologist for the US Olympic Committee] said no Americans would do so.
“I think it would be a huge political issue and an embarrassment to the Chinese people and to the I.O.C. if American athletes wore masks in the event itself,” Mr. Wilber said. “If that image was beamed around the world on TV, it would cause nothing but problems.”
Tags: 2008 Beijing Olympics, Beijing, China, environment
January 25th, 2008 at 6:51 am
So glad that we live in Hawai’i!
January 25th, 2008 at 7:07 am
I know China was also trying to prepare by cleaning up the pollution. I think they even were taking measures to induce rain. I’m interested to see how much they get done before game time.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:48 am
I went to Beijing in 2007 and I can tell you that the pollution is even worst today. That picture above is now what it looks like on one of the “better” days.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:55 am
I read in Wired some developers are making contained mini-cities, or towns, or something, where everything is indoors and you go from building to building through skyways so you never have to stray outdoors.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:00 am
China should be embarrassed, their concern regarding their image if US athletes wear protective masks is secondary. China has a reputation of being one of the worst polluted nations, not to mention the huge number of tigers, bears and other endangered animals they kill for medicinal purposes (even though its the 21st century). creating enclosed mini cities would is not help the environment.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Highly doubt their pollution efforts will make a difference with so little time left. Do people walk around with those surgical masks (like in japan)?
January 25th, 2008 at 9:36 am
I’m glad Mr. Wilber is forbidding the wearing of masks by athletes. It would indeed look very poor on national tv of these athletes having to wear masks because the pollution is that horrid. On the other side of the coin is the protection of our athletes as well. I guess you choose to represent your country, so do so at your own risk.
That was a very nice image of the pollution though: “Returning from a short walk to the Carrefore down the street, your clothes would smell foul and if you blew your nose, the tissue would turn black. Lovely.” Lovely is correct.
January 25th, 2008 at 11:07 am
I wish that Mr Wilber would allow all athletes to where those mask. It would show the entire world that each nation should take responsibilities and step up their development efforts in a way that respects the environment.
No wonder we have a Major Global Warming Crisis, it’s because nations like China (US is also include) produce too much emissions.
January 25th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Just from the picture alone, is the pollution mainly from factories? B-cuz it doesn’t look like there’s much cars…now only if our freeways looked like that.
January 25th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
As bad as people say China is, I still plan to visit China one day. Hopefully next year.
January 25th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
China has banned anyone from getting sick or dying from lead poisoning during the Olympic Games. lol
If you cut corners, you WILL pay a price. Are we to pretend for the duration of the Games this is not the case?
Good luck to the marathoners.
January 25th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Why in the world would the IOC grant the games to such a place. And let us give ourselves soem environmental credit: Pollution levels in the U.S. are very low.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
It’s so easy to critique but let’s take a look at the US during the industrial revolution. Think it was all pretty and clean? If you take things in context, then they are going through their growing pains.
January 25th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
i would assume that there are indoor training facilities in beijing?
they must have to run constant filters indoors to keep conditions tolerable, huh?
January 26th, 2008 at 3:15 am
Smog? That’s nothing.
Try come Palolo Valley at 12:10 AM on January 1.
January 26th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Is that lead as in leed or lead as in led.
January 28th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
yup
January 29th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I think banning the usage of masks during the Olympics is a defiance of natural common sense. Would you want to inhale all of that “lovely” smog while trying to do your best in an athletic competition?
Even if we look beyond the obvious health risks, don’t you think the performance of all the participating athletes would suffer due to poison infiltrating their lungs with every breath? I think so.
Forget about being embarrassed; we should think about keeping our participants healty. I’m sure many other countries feel the same way.
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