Environmental Issues Before / After Beijing 2008 Olympics

“Beijing lie between longitudes 115°25′E and 117°30′E and between latitude 39°26′N and 41°03′N in North China. Specifically, Beijing is located at the eastern edge of the Eurasian continent and belongs to the Bohai sea rim economic circle, with small plain in the south and mountains in the west and north, covering an area of 16,807.8 km2. The city’s climate is a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate.” (Gengyuan Liu et.al., 2011). As the capital city with full of the long history and Chinese traditional culture and one of three economic-centered cities, which are Beijing, Shanghai, Hongkong respectively, in China Beijing has been regarded as one successful city that has

Air pollution by definition, is the presence in or introduction into the air of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects. Beijing is a major Chinese city that endures air pollution significantly. A study on the global burden of disease found that outdoor air pollution contributed to 1.2 million premature deaths in China each year (Chemical & Engineering News,2017). As China is the world's second largest economy behind the United States, it is most definitely under the influence of globalization. Globalization causes industrialization, a process that will inevitably create pollution.70% of air pollution in China is from the tailpipes of automobiles (Conserve Energy Future, 2017). Thus, the introduction of advanced transportation brought by globalization has adversely affected China's atmosphere.

According to the EPA pollution recommendations, when a city reaches an air quality index (AQI) of over 400, all people should avoid going outdoors. Beijing’s highest AQI is 895. This impacts the daily lives of Beijing citizens immensely. Air pollution has been related to increased cases of cancer, heart disease, stroke and other respiratory illnesses. It is also associated with asthma in children.

In the past decade, the severe air pollution problem in fast developing countries, particularly in China, has caused highly social and scientific attention. In 2014, 92 % of the world population are exposed over to the WHO Air Quality Guidelines (AQG) PM2.5 concentration level of 10 μg/m3 (World Health Organization, 2016). Ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution ranked as the third leading risk factor in India and Nepal, and ranked as the fifth in China (GBD 2015 Risk Factors Collaborators, 2016). In 2012, about 3 million deaths globally were attributed solely to ambient air pollution, and around 87% of it occurred in low- and middle-income countries (World Health Organization, 2016).

For the past few years, the American Lung Association has been releasing its annual reports on the “State of The Air” that lists the most polluted cities in the United States. For instance, in 2014, out of the seven cities ranked to have the worst air quality, six of them are in California. The two major air pollution culprits in California are from the transportation sources such as trucks and cars, or from the stationary sources such as industrial facilities and refineries (Ierodiakonou, et al. 392). However, the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association includes other pollutants in their reports such as Sulphur(IV) oxide, Carbon(II) Oxide gas and Nitrogen(IV) Oxide from chemical industries, which also causes harm to human beings and the environment at large.

(Schulenkorf, 2012) Athletes have a huge impact on people in society and can lead and direct them through changes for more sustainable practices. Sport teams can unite people from all over the world and have vital control over their decisions. “All hosts of mega events should integrate sustainability at their core. Let us work together so that the motto of all mega events in the future is cleaner, greener and more sustainable.” The World Cup will be known for more than just a tournament, it is a chance to change people’s perfections and influence sustainable ways of life said Milan Verkhunova, Head of Sustainability for the FWC 2018 Local Organizing Committee. Over 100 projects are being implementing to chance health and safety, inclusivity and equality, healthy living and sport legacy areas, as well as acting in biodiversity and environment protection.

The population growth in Beijing contributes to a big portion of its pollution. The population has risen from 11 million to 16 million in just 7 years, and has nearly doubled over the past century. Factories that utilize coal burning contribute to the smog currently present in Beijing. Many of these factories depend on outdated and inefficient technology which emits air pollutants. Beijing is a victim of its own topography since it's surrounded by mountains which traps pollution within the city. Air quality worsens in the spring and summer seasons when the humidity and temperature levels increase. Air pollution has been so drastic to the point that the city often engulfs in smog making it near zero visibility which in turn causing road

The smog in Xingtai blankets the northeastern Chinese city in a perpetual gray overcast. Media outlets show a monochromatic slide show of how badly that air quality is in regions of China creating and their own buzzword, Airpocalypes. Pictures of heavy smog smothering high-rises, offices, and apartment complexes that would fit well in Ridley Scott’s dystopian movie, Blade Runner. Images of motorcyclist wearing pollution masks in the hopes of blocking out most of the harmful air particles. Californians can see these images and yet feel as if a scenario like Xingtai can never happen here.

When one thinks of industries that need greening up, one does not usually think of sports first. One may not think of the sports industry at all in fact. What part of sports, one might ask, is environmentally unfriendly? Well, that person needs to stop and think about what all goes into having a sporting event and what types of resources are used during the event. Several sports use excessive amounts of fuel and at least one sport allows unregulated emissions from that fuel into the atmosphere. Other sports consume resources in the form of consumption, waste and air pollution too.

This article that is based on the air pollution in China talks about how contaminated air is constantly killing people who live in major cities of China, especially because the levels of pollution are much higher in China than they are in the United States and other areas. This article displays an environmental and social issue because people expect that there will be no host for the 2022 Olympics if the issues with the environment and pollution keep up in China. This could be a major disadvantage towards the way the Olympics works and towards the amount of deaths caused by pollution in China.

Cities which host the Olympics can be assured of a persistent increase in recognition and tourism. A country like China with a controversial human rights record, hosting a major sporting event can be a greater way to gain greater international acceptance. A significant benefit is the long-term effect which from preparing a major event like the Olympics. The several years of planning and investment will help create jobs, this was an important claim of the London Olympics, choosing a site in East London, which at the time was relatively depressing.

In the present day a majority of China’s major cities contain hazardous amounts of air smog, enough to cause shortness of breath, obstruction to a person’s airway, and just impede a citizen’s daily life. Pollution exists in these crammed megalopolises because the city is constantly on the move for fast tracking improvements and

Through urbanization, the most common view is the establishment of factories. Most of these factories are located in heavy industrial areas of the cities. It is easy to hypotheses that air quality has become worse in Shanghai since it started urbanization in the 1980s. However, there is not a proportional

Air Pollution is the introduction of a harmful or poisonous substance into the air. It affects people in many ways, and ever since the games started some of the athletes had a hard time breathing. Air pollution is majorly important because of how it affects the athletes, how it affects a person’s health, and what is being done about it.

Beijing Olympic Games 2008, China invested nearly $40 billion in infrastructure alone from 2002 to 2006 to achieve the supporting for the big event, this development also includes refurbishment of 25 historic areas such as city's landmarks, old streets and four corner residences that date from the imperial period, many Beijing's historic places had been restored including Forbidden City.