With only a few days until the opening ceremonies, Panic sets in over Beijing pollution a week before Olympic Games:
Beijing has announced new restrictions on car usage and said it could close hundreds more factories as panic set in over pollution levels ahead of the Olympics.
Along with the threat of doping, and a bitter row among members about China's censorship of the internet in Olympic venues and accommodation, pollution will be a major focus of the last session of the International Olympic Committee before the opening ceremony.
We now know that Bush's own, Washington-style 'Clear Skies' double-speak is hardly unique:
On Wednesday, both Beijing's environmental protection bureau and an IOC representative tried to play down the problem, saying that just because the sky was grey and hazy did not mean that it was necessarily polluted. "Most of the people see the fog, they say it's pollution," said Gilberto Felli, the IOC's executive director for the Games. "But we know here it's not pollution. It's mist, a fact of the nature."
However, Beijing does not currently release statistics for ozone, one component of a polluted rather than a misty haze.
In addition, a website that gave a district breakdown of pollution readings in the city has had public access denied since a link was displayed on a Telegraph website.
Indeed, the IOC is cooperating with China's effort to erect additional barriers on Internet access to any sites that might harshly judge the Chinese government. Web censorship is now new for the Chinese people but for the 20,000 foreign journalists?
From the IDG News Service:
The International Olympic Committee admitted yesterday that it made a deal with Chinese officials to accept censorship of the Internet during the Beijing Olympic Games, which begin Aug. 8.
"IOC officials negotiated with the Chinese [so] that some sensitive sites would be blocked on the basis they were not considered Games-related," said Kevin Gosper, chairman of the IOC's press commission, according to press reports. "I regret that it now appears BOCOG [the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad] has announced that there will be limitations on Web site access during Games time," he added.
BOCOG's top spokesperson said today that Web sites that are "banned" will remain so. "If a few Web sites are difficult to browse, it's mainly because they have spread content that is banned by the Chinese laws," Sun Weide told the state-run Xinhua News Agency. "The Internet is regulated according to law in China, just like in other countries." ...
China blocks access to Web sites containing pornography, violence and antigovernment material, including political views opposing the Chinese Communist Party and those expressing support for independence for Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang.
What, you ask, does this have to do with air quality? Well, a lot:
China's insistence on Internet censorship violates assurances given to the IOC at various points, most recently in April. "We were satisfied by the assurances we received across a number of areas — media service levels, including Internet access, brand protection, environmental contingency plans for improved air quality, and the live broadcast feed," said IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Hein Verbruggen, during his final pregames visit to Beijing in April.
Traditional media have apparently been reliant on Chinese 'openness' - the Wall Street Journal installed a specially-designed feature on its website, monitoring the air quality in Beijing:
Introducing the Beijing Air Quality Widget
We’ve added this feature to keep track of pollution levels in Beijing, both before and after the Olympic Games. ... The widget uses the Air Pollution Index (API) as calculated by China’s environmental authorities. It’s the only consistent figure we have, though it’s worth noting that the methods used to assess air quality have also been the subject of some controversy, with concerns about loose standards and data manipulation being employed to show improvement by the numbers. Chinese officials defend the accuracy of their data and caution against judging air quality based on appearances.
The problem is that their widget relied on the government's Web-posted data.
As one WSJ-reader, 'AR', commented:
Isn’t it just a little suspect that the "Air Quality Widget" is based on data provided by China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection?
Below that comes a comment that is either the greatest snark ever or proof that China has its own Forrest Gump:
AR (a previous commenter), why do you seem suspicious of China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection? I can assure you that China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection has nothing to hide, and is in all cases completely forthright and truthful. Relax, and trust China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection. You have nothing to worry about. Everything is fine.
Comment by China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection
I swear, even Orwell couldn't have topped this.
The best part of this whole story to me is that George Bush will be in Beijing for opening ceremonies. I wonder if he will wear a protective mask or risk breathing the consequences of unbridled industrialization and minimal pollution-control. Then again, maybe Bush will believe that Beijing is just fogged in - just like his own brain.
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ON TO TOP COMMENTS!
You people proved to be real slackers today. The Top Comments mailbox only rec'd one lonely nomination.
From monkeybiz:
From the diary that introduced me to Failblog (thanks, The Dead Man), here's pylonsound and his cheap plastic snark.
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My Picks:
An MIT professor outlines the possibility of solar power in 10 years and everyone wants to be first in line: Me too - and I'm in MA... by frisco
Russert Redux (this time, it's the son Luke): Jesus Christ. Grow up people... by ATLSandlapper
The funny, funny diary 'I'm already upset at Obama's choice of running mate.' by J R Hand generated a bunch of great commentary; here's a few: But, purity is at stake! by royce, A tremendous public service by JoeWPgh, and It's his (arrogance/celebrity/jumpshot) by mrblifil,
On fighting McCain, see It's hard to hit the guy when... by David Kroning
On the fiscal woes of the retail sector, See this article by Rick B, I wouldn't lump Target in with the rest by Sharon Jumper, and I wish there was an off-ramp to that cycle. Save.
In the same diary about the retail sector, an argument grew about which is worse - management vs. labor unions: Oh, The things I have personally seen over by blueocean
Great threads started in Jerome A Paris' diary with Foxes guarding the henhouse by Dallasdoc and Savings and Loan Crisis by NoMoreLies.
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TOP MOJO!
Excluding tip jars and other mojo-magnets:
1 - Accept no substitutes - billmon - 665
2 - They fought unionization tooth and nail, - tovan - 230
3 - Republicans/corporations have been very - tovan - 178
4 - [a liar/ a liar / a liar / a liar] - Jerome a Paris - 170
5 - You recognize that the auto industry is mismanage - Rick B - 138
6 - With small companies, you're right. - Geiiga - 136
7 - Just so you understand . . . - nyceve - 121
8 - I wouldn't lump Target in with the rest - Sharon Jumper - 100
9 - Let's not Forget Paris - JasperJohns - 98
10 - No, McCain's not a racist - Dallasdoc - 98
11 - C&J Thor's Day Edition - Phil N DeBlanc - 97
12 - Foxes guarding the henhouse - Dallasdoc - 87
13 - Another big auto industry problem - cliffradz - 87
14 - here's the video - indybend - 85
15 - Having received the bogus Maureen Dowd - hungrycoyote - 80
16 - I [love/love/love] this diary - katier - 79
17 - I do have some of the same concerns that you do - smash artist - 79
18 - yes, I want Target to survive - Pandoras Box - 77
19 - [no worries/thanks/this might get annoying] - J R Hand - 77
20 - Thanks Jerome! - J R Hand - 76
21 - Oh, The things I have personally seen over - blueocean - 76
22 - Thursday - Odds & Ends - Ed Tracey - 75
23 - This strategy is not brilliant. It's all he's got - FishOutofWater - 74
24 - and billmon's first comment - Timroff - 72
25 - Serves Circuit City right - ChurchofBruce - 71
26 - Another delicious moment--YouTube of Obama today - NCDem Amy - 70
27 - 2013: President McCain solves our problems - FishOutofWater - 70
28 - You should anyway. - droogie6655321 - 70
29 - What a pleasant surprise! - Dallasdoc - 68
30 - Ah, shoot - david mizner - 68
No Exclusions:
1 - [Tip Jar/Complaints/Nougat] - J R Hand 698
2 - Accept no substitutes - billmon 669
3 - Tip jar - skymutt 513
4 - Tips/Recs or Flames, I knew this diary - dansac 365
5 - Keep it up - david mizner 336
6 - Tips for exposing McCain's crapola nt - davidkc 330
7 - Tip Jar - 31 July - Jerome a Paris 322
8 - Tips. - barath 308
9 - They fought unionization tooth and nail, - tovan 230
10 - Welcome Back, It's Been Too Long eom - greenskeeper 230
11 - Tip jar for good news - hcc in VA 189
12 - And here's my tip jar... - scorpiorising 182
13 - Republicans/corporations have been very - tovan 178
14 - Grace can't be manufactured. - nowheredesign 174
15 - [a liar/ a liar / a liar / a liar] - Jerome a Paris 170
16 - Tips - litho 166
17 - Dammit, you beat me too it. - wmtriallawyer 156
18 - You recognize that the auto industry is mismanage - Rick B 138
19 - With small companies, you're right. - Geiiga 136
20 - Sad. But not surprising. - rashomon 124
21 - Just so you understand . . . - nyceve 121
22 - Tips for Justice. - LaKathie 118
23 - This photo... - juliewolf 102
24 - I wouldn't lump Target in with the rest - Sharon Jumper 100
25 - Let's not Forget Paris - JasperJohns 98
26 - No, McCain's not a racist - Dallasdoc 98
27 - C&J Thor's Day Edition - Phil N DeBlanc 97
28 - Another big auto industry problem - cliffradz 87
29 - Tip jar - daveweigel 87
30 - Foxes guarding the henhouse - Dallasdoc 87
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Always the mountains (where the air is clear and sweet),
va dare
