Jessika Ziglar/01-24-2008 5:18pm/Pollution/#2
The 2008 Olympic games are due to start August 8 in Beijing which on some days, researchers claim, has pollution that is five times what the World Health Organization deems safe. The Chinese plan on limiting vehicle use, close industrial factories, and take many other measures in order to assure that the air in Beijing is clear for the games. But many scientists are skeptical of this claim and athletes are preparing for the worst.
The smog will have the most affect on marathoner runners, triathletes, and cyclists who will have to endure hours of competition outdoors. Randy Wilber of the United States Olympic Committee is suggesting that athletes avoid Beijing as long as possible, and only enter the city with masks. Some worry that this would offend the host country and lead to political tension.
Pollution could cause athletes to go into oxygen debt and to cramp up sooner than they would in a cleaner environment. The bad Beijing air could also cause allergic reactions and the higher the air pollution, the higher the chances of a heart attack.
I thought this article was interesting because it's something I never even considered- how the air in notoriously polluted Beijing would affect Olympic athletes. It's even another faction of life that could be compromised due to China's rapid industrialization and high levels of pollutants.
New York Times article
2 comments:
Wow, this is interesting. Ive never heard of this before and never knew that the air pollution was so bad there. It does make sense to me how this could affect the athletes though.
I despise the Olympics for a billion reasons one of which is the pollution of the games themselves. In many cases roads and buildings are constructed just for the games. The amount of resources wasted on merchandising along with the global travel of people going to see them. It sort of seems like a waste so that countries can act like they like each other for a few weeks. If I hear another person say how much the Olympics "bring people and countries together in a peaceful setting" I'm going to vomit.
Kristopher Hilbert / 2:11 PM / 01.25.08
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