Source: CCTV.com – 06-20-2008 11:41
The countdown continues to the Beijing Olympics, and with fewer than 50 days to go, a group of foreign experts is now in China’s capital, on a mission to assess and improve air quality in Beijing.
The 12-person panel, including scientists from Hong Kong SAR, the United States and Italy, will monitor and forecast air quality in Beijing during the Olympics. They’ll also evaluate measures already taken to improve air quality.
The panel will be headed by Tang Xiaoyan from the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Tang Xiaoyan from Chinese Academy of Engineering said, “We will conduct timely forecasts during the Olympic period. If the forecast indicates bad weather, we will take emergency measures to ensure the Games.”
Beijing has spent 140 billion yuan on environmental improvements over the last decade. It has shut down heavy-polluting factories, switched thousands of homes from oil to gas heating and imposed higher emission standards on vehicles.
Beijing plans to close more factories and force 19 heavy polluters to reduce emissions by 30 percent for two months starting July 20th. Six surrounding provinces also have emergency plans in place to reduce pollution even further if necessary.