It's mist more than smog says Olympic spokesman

Discussion in 'World Events' started by cosmictraveler, Jul 28, 2008.

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  1. cosmictraveler

    cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Today there is nothing critical preventing an athlete from running, except the visibility,'' he said. "I can tell you it's mist more than smog.''

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25874574

    Looks like some very DIRTY mist there doesn't it? Imagine trying to run a 26 mile marathoner in that crap! You'd probably keel over with a clogged lung or other breathing disorder.

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    cosmictraveler, Jul 28, 2008
    #1

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  3. OilIsMastery

    OilIsMastery Banned Banned

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    Of course it's H2O...

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    If that were SO2 the Chinese would be dropping dead like flies as droplets of acid rain formed in their lungs.

    Good luck with that.
     
    OilIsMastery, Jul 28, 2008
    #2

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  5. Buffalo Roam

    Buffalo Roam Registered Senior Member

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    And we are suppose to have a air polution problem, here is a picture of San Francisco:

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    Los Angeles:

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    Buffalo Roam, Jul 28, 2008
    #3

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  7. Buffalo Roam

    Buffalo Roam Registered Senior Member

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    Los Angeles Marathon

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    Buffalo Roam, Jul 28, 2008
    #4
  8. Orbit

    Orbit A Service to the Blind. Registered Senior Member

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    i love the way that visibility stops an athelete from running! thats just fabulous. I run at a disabled athletics club, where most of the best runners are B1 category. You do NOT need sight to run. That's just silly.
     
    Orbit, Jul 28, 2008
    #5
  9. cosmictraveler

    cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    By DAVID BARBOZA
    Published: July 5, 2007
    SHANGHAI, July 4 — Chinese government officials pressed the World Bank into removing estimates of the number of premature deaths linked to pollution in China from a bank report, according to a person involved in drafting the report.

    A formal draft of the report, “Cost of Pollution in China,” was released at a conference in Beijing in March after the deletions. The excised information included statistical models estimating that as many as 750,000 people a year die prematurely in China, because of air and water pollution.

    The person involved in drafting the report said the Chinese authorities had wanted the information removed because they had doubts about the method used to estimate the deaths and they were worried about the social consequences of making such statistics public. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is considered so delicate in China.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/05/world/asia/05china.html
     
    cosmictraveler, Jul 28, 2008
    #6
  10. kenworth

    kenworth dude...**** it,lets go bowling Registered Senior Member

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    :bugeye::bugeye::bugeye:
     
    kenworth, Jul 28, 2008
    #7
  11. ashura

    ashura the Old Right Registered Senior Member

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    That's in response to the quote in the OP:

    Today there is nothing critical preventing an athlete from running, except the visibility
     
    ashura, Jul 28, 2008
    #8
  12. Buffalo Roam

    Buffalo Roam Registered Senior Member

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    What do you think all that solid air is going to do to their lungs?

    nitrogen oxides, such as nitrogen dioxide
    tropospheric ozone
    volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
    peroxyacyl nitrates (PAN)
    aldehydes (R'O)

    Yes, Beijing Fog, bite of a peace and choke to death.

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    Beijing air on a day after rain (left) and a sunny but smoggy day (right)
     
    Buffalo Roam, Jul 28, 2008
    #9
  13. Xelios

    Xelios We're setting you adrift idiot Registered Senior Member

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    On CNN today (sadly it's the only english channel I get here) they tested the air with a particulate sensor. The 'international standard' (whatever that means) is 50 mg/m^3, the air in Beijing at the Olympic park was 3 times that.

    What they need is a nice thunderstorm to wash all that crap out of the air, maybe it won't get pumped back in as fast with the changes they've made.
     
    Xelios, Jul 28, 2008
    #10
  14. cosmictraveler

    cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    That only clears the air for a day or so, then back to this crap everyywhere.

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    cosmictraveler, Jul 28, 2008
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  15. Buffalo Roam

    Buffalo Roam Registered Senior Member

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    50 milligrams per meter squared.
     
    Buffalo Roam, Jul 28, 2008
    #12
  16. Bells

    Bells Staff Member

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    I doubt it would work. The air in Beijing is so solid, you can chomp it. A "nice thunderstorm" wouldn't be enough. It might be for a couple of hours or even a day, but it wouldn't clear the air sufficiently for the duration of the games. What they should be aiming for is a permanent reduction of smog instead of just for the games.

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    Shutting down factories and banning cars for a few days won't go far enough in combating their pollution problem, not for the short or long term.
     
    Bells, Jul 29, 2008
    #13
  17. Buffalo Roam

    Buffalo Roam Registered Senior Member

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    Plus that air seems kind of solid, like running into a brick wall.
     
    Buffalo Roam, Jul 29, 2008
    #14
  18. desi

    desi Valued Senior Member

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    That post reminds me of the movie Soylent Green.
     
    desi, Jul 30, 2008
    #15
  19. madanthonywayne

    madanthonywayne Morning in America Registered Senior Member

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    Looking at those two pictures, I think the futility of environmental agreements that don't involve China and India becomes quite evident.
     
    madanthonywayne, Jul 30, 2008
    #16
  20. MacGyver1968

    MacGyver1968 Fixin' Shit that Ain't Broke Valued Senior Member

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    Holy crap, Beijing looks like the inside of my bong. :m:

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    MacGyver1968, Jul 30, 2008
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  21. Buffalo Roam

    Buffalo Roam Registered Senior Member

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    And they blame the U.S. for pollution?
     
    Buffalo Roam, Jul 31, 2008
    #18
  22. cosmictraveler

    cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    That bong needs to be cleaned!

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    cosmictraveler, Jul 31, 2008
    #19
  23. Bells

    Bells Staff Member

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    An update..

    Apparently the air cleared up on the weekend, and you could actually see the colour of sky in Beijing for two days. But come Monday, the smog descended again.

    Workers on the site who are setting everything up before the games start have also had issues with the smog, requiring medical attention.

    Nice.

    And it seems that the smog is actually permeating through air-conditioning systems and getting indoors as well:

    Pollution experts are warning that athletes competing in certain events outdoors could face some serious issues if they are made to compete in the pea soup that is Beijing's smog.

    I wonder if the IOC President and the Chinese organisers would actually agree to postpone some events if it poses a health risk to those who need to participate in it.
     
    Bells, Aug 5, 2008
    #20
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