Pollution Problems in China

(Beijing on a clear day against Beijing on a hazy day)

The 2008 Olympic Games begin on 8 August. It’s a lucky date in Chinese culture; too bad about the lead-up to that date because the Chinese government just can’t buy a break.

Just 3 weeks from the Games and only now has the Chinese government successfully cleared tonnes of algae that had blocked the Olympic sailing course in the eastern city of Qingdao. I’m sure most of you had seen pictures of the algae that has made the water of Qingdao, well…green.

The Chinese government had to send out some 10,000 troops from the People's Liberation Army for the works and Olympic sailing teams (who had been there early for training) can now finally train on the course.

This is a surprise for me as I had always thought that the pollution problem in China was overblown (as the Chinese government had often said), well the picture above shows what I know.