BEIJING — Despite removing 1.5 million cars from the roads, shutting down hundreds of factories and construction sites and bringing much of the city's economic life to a standstill, Beijing remains stubbornly shrouded in a persistent, gray haze on the eve of the Summer Olympics.
The poor air quality just 11 days before the opening ceremonies has left Chinese government officials scrambling for explanations that include statistical anomalies and the 90-plus-degree heat.
The state-run China Daily reported Monday that the Chinese government may be forced to implement an "emergency plan" if air quality hasn't improved 48 hours before the Games begin Aug. 8. One possible measure would expand the recently implemented system that allows cars on the road only on odd or even days, depending on license plate numbers, to a ban of up to 90% of private traffic.
"Beijing's air quality is not up to what the world is expecting from an Olympic host city; the sports teams have reason to be concerned," said Lo Sze Ping, Greenpeace's campaign director in Beijing, during a news conference Monday. He blamed the bad air on what he characterized as a "develop first, clean up later" approach by the Chinese government.
"It is not good enough," Lo said.
Beijing's pre-Olympic clampdown on pollution has already seriously crimped economic life in the capital region. Along with the license-plate-based restrictions that took effect July 20, the city has banned many out-of-town cars and trucks from its streets and suspended all construction work. Factories up to hundreds of miles away have been closed.
But the air quality levels haven't improved at all and for the last few days have been worse.
Even over the weekend when traffic was at a minimum, the air pollution level around the Olympic stadium fell into a category that the Chinese government terms "unhealthful for sensitive groups," with inhalable particulates at two to three times the standard set by the World Health Organization. On Monday, air pollution was barely within the "acceptable" level.
Beijing calculates its daily air pollution index from 1 to 500 based on measures of four pollutants. Days on which the index is under 100 are said to be acceptable. The Chinese government says air quality has greatly improved since 2001, when Beijing won its bid to host the Games with promises to clean up the local atmosphere. Since then, Beijing has tightened emissions standards, built four new subway lines and spent a reported $16 billion on air quality improvement.
