The Olympic Games take place once every four years. They are usually celebrated as a time when the world comes together to celebrate amazing athletes and compete in many events. This year, however, the Olympic Games will have to overcome pollution problems in Beijing, China.
The air pollution levels in Beijing went up drastically last month and some of the pollutants in Beijing’s air have been shown to cause lung damage. To prevent health risks to the participating athletes, the International Olympic Committee will cancel or postpone Olympic events if they believe the air quality is harmful to the athletes.
Some athletes have independently chosen not to take part in their events for health reasons. For example, Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie has asthma and has decided not to participate in the marathon at the Beijing Olympics to protect his health.
Beijing and the areas around Beijing are working to try and reduce pollution levels so that the Olympic Games can continue without problems. Beijing has gotten rid of many industrial plants and banned the use of unleaded fuel but even though Beijing has been trying to reduce pollution, it has not been successful so far. The many construction sites, the large number of cars in the city, coal mining, and power plants are all contributing to the pollution in Beijing.
Some doctors believe that world records and exceptional performance will not be seen in sports that require stamina during these Olympics because of the bad air quality and humid atmosphere of Beijing.
Other places with similar pollution problems have hosted the Olympics in the past. For example, the Olympic Games were held in 1984 in Los Angeles, which had smog problems. Because environmental awareness is rising, Beijing has to take more precautions than has been accepted in the past.
What is your opinion on the bad air quality in Beijing and how do you think it will affect the Olympic Games? What do you think should be done about it?
Some athletes have independently chosen not to take part in their events for health reasons. For example, Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie has asthma and has decided not to participate in the marathon at the Beijing Olympics to protect his health.
Beijing and the areas around Beijing are working to try and reduce pollution levels so that the Olympic Games can continue without problems. Beijing has gotten rid of many industrial plants and banned the use of unleaded fuel but even though Beijing has been trying to reduce pollution, it has not been successful so far. The many construction sites, the large number of cars in the city, coal mining, and power plants are all contributing to the pollution in Beijing.
Some doctors believe that world records and exceptional performance will not be seen in sports that require stamina during these Olympics because of the bad air quality and humid atmosphere of Beijing.
Other places with similar pollution problems have hosted the Olympics in the past. For example, the Olympic Games were held in 1984 in Los Angeles, which had smog problems. Because environmental awareness is rising, Beijing has to take more precautions than has been accepted in the past.
What is your opinion on the bad air quality in Beijing and how do you think it will affect the Olympic Games? What do you think should be done about it?
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