How Did China Get Blue Skies for the Olympics?
2022-02-12
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1Olympians and others arriving in China for the Beijing Games were welcomed with blue skies and clear views of the city.
2The clean air marks a big change from just 10 years ago, when the city's pollution often made it difficult to see nearby buildings.
3At the current Winter Games, the air has been clean enough for people to see the mountains and surrounding city.
4So, how has China improved its air quality after years of serious pollution problems?
5In 2013, pollution hit record levels in Beijing.
6This led to increased international attention and criticism of how the country was dealing with the problem.
7China reacted by launching an aggressive plan to improve its air quality.
8Officials promised to fight pollution "with an iron fist," said a recent report from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.
9China's plans were announced around the same time the country started its campaign to get the 2022 Winter Games.
10The country ordered stronger emissions rules for coal-fired power centers and limited the number of cars on the road.
11The report notes that China had also aimed to clear its skies for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.
12But for the 2022 Games, similar measures were carried out on a much larger scale, it said.
13Local officials were given environmental targets, and coal-fired burners in homes were replaced with gas or electric heaters.
14The government's reporting of air quality data also improved.
15Even though there has been progress, Beijing's yearly average air pollution in 2021 was still more than six times the limit established by the World Health Organization's guidelines.
16Because Beijing is surrounded by coal-burning industries, it still experiences bad air days, said Lauri Myllyvirta.
17She is with the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air in Helsinki, Finland.
18Myllyvirta was living in Beijing until 2019.
19She said the severity of such bad days depends on things like how many cars are on the road or how much wind there is to blow away polluted air.
20Chinese officials have praised the country's progress.
21They say that last year, there were 288 days of good air quality in Beijing, compared to 176 days in 2013.
22The effects of air pollution can be felt in different ways, such as irritated eyes and difficulty breathing.
23"You could hear people coughing all over because of it," Myllyvirta said about the dirty air.
24Children, older adults and people with existing health issues, including the breathing condition asthma, are more likely to feel the effects of pollution.
25Particles found in air pollution can get deep into people's lungs.
26This has been linked to health problems including uneven heartbeat and reduced lung performance.
27Poorer people are also more affected if they cannot buy air purifiers or must work outdoors, said Guojun He.
28He is a researcher at the University of Hong Kong and co-writer of the report from the Energy Policy Institute.
29China says it will become carbon neutral by 2060.
30Although China still depends heavily on coal for electricity, He said the country has made major progress in limiting emissions.
31China is also quickly developing clean energy from sources like wind and sun.
32"When it's possible, I think in general, the transition is going to be happening and it's actually happening right now," He said.
33In the meantime, he noted that the government can take short-term measures, such as temporarily shutting down factories.
34That could help ensure clearer skies for big political or social events, like the Olympics.
35I'm Bryan Lynn.