Beijing Commended For Environmental Clean Ups
Over the last year – as Beijing’s Olympic games drew closer – many have argued that the Chinese government would have to improve its environmental record if it were to have a successful Olympics.
As early as 2001 it was reported that Beijing had serious air pollution problems. Their Olympic bid report committed to several environmental improvements, including the rectification of this problem.
It has also been suggested that the level in 2008 is still more than twice as high as the acceptable level for air pollution in major cities.
Some nations have declared the feeling that their athletes may not perform as highly under such conditions, and others have admitted to keeping entrants out of Beijing for as long as possible to avoid unnecessary exposure to the air there.
Since anxieties were made known, The Chinese government has looked to answers its critics.
And this week, Greenpeace has published a report praising the efforts made by the government in the build up to the games.
In the report it is acknowledged that Beijing’s five new subway lines are environmentally sound, and will help reduce air pollution. The investigators also make note of improved water facilities and treatments, plus the implementation of geothermal heating systems.
Beijing’s increasing independence from fossil fuels was also deemed praise worthy.
What is clear, then, is that the Chinese government have had to bow to growing demand for environmental parity across the world; as the environmental issue becomes a central issue, one of the world’s leading powers has – through the pressures of other nations and established environmental groups – shown that a good environmental policy cannot be a commendable luxury.
If indeed a poor environmental record will not be tolerated in the Olympic games’ host nation, it will be interesting to see whether this pressure can be used to pin China into a more long term redevelopment of its environmental infrastructures; it seems that – despite their efforts to make the capital cleaner in the short term – China has not used the games a springboard for more permanent and long term environmental policies.
This is in fact the Greenpeace report’s main criticism, and one that will no doubt be echoed globally.
London. capital for one of the nations who criticised China’s policies – and host of the next summer games in 2012 – will come under similar scrutiny. And it will be telling to see whether this growing environmental commitment by the world nation’s can be used to demand good environmental records as a prerequisite for future Olympic bids, as it is certainly clear that – despite the promises in its original bid – Beijing is still not as environmentally sound as it could have been, and much of its precautions have been taken in the last year; relatively hastily, then.
If environmental commitments can be tied up with Olympic bids in the future, it is certainly one way to guarantee cleaner and more eco-friendly cities across the world for years to come.
Chris Woolfrey is the Environmental expert at EcoSwitch The environmental social network.
