Posted on 03/18/2008 4:30:57 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Beijing events could be postponed in case of heavy pollution: IOC
Monday • March 17, 2008
The International Olympic Committee said Monday that it would set up a special panel to recommend the postponement of events at the Beijing Olympics in case of heavy pollution.
IOC Medical Commission chairman, Arne Ljungqvist, announcing the IOC's own analysis of air quality data for Beijing, said that the body would be formed with representatives from his commission and from sports federations.
"We have to have a mechanism in place to provide the coordination commission with the facts," he said, referring to the IOC commission that would issue the decision.
Ljungqvist said that Olympic events had been postponed before, but never because of pollution.
"This is the first time that air pollution has become an issue and we have taken the issue seriously," he said.
"We have conducted this analysis in order to be prepared to be able to take an action should facts arise which suggest we postpone an event."
Beijing is one of the world's most polluted cities and athletes and officials have expressed concern about poor air quality during the August 8-24 Games.
Four independent scientists conducted the analysis for the IOC using data provided by the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau that was collected between August 8-29 last year, a comparable period to the August Games, Ljungqvist said.
He said the data turned out better than he expected and he believed the Olympics would be free from pollution worries.
"My feeling is and my conclusion is we will probably face heat and humidity being the major issue rather than pollution in the air," he said.
Those most likely to suffer from pollution were marathon runners, cyclists, long-distance race walkers and others engaged in endurance events, he said.
"But it is not so much a health risk... The risk is more related to the fact that they may not perform at the best level," he said.
However, athletes suffering from respiratory problems such as asthma may suffer more, particularly in Beijing's high temperatures and high humidity.
Haile Gebrselassie, an asthma sufferer, said last week he planned to skip the Olympic marathon because of pollution worries.
"It is a private decision that he has taken and he will have to explain," said Ljungqvist. "I would not say that his decision should be the gold standard for others." — AFP
Ping!
IOC = UN of Sports
“all barks, no teeth”
Beijing has another problem. There was a report on Fox News last night that the Gobi Desert in China is expanding rapidly to the point it is only 70 miles from the city. Beijing frequently experiences large amounts of wind blown sand deposited in the city. Tianamen square will be buried under sand by 2010 at the rate the desert is expanding.
Well, I guess the ChiComs will also have to roll out the desert control machine along with their weather control machine.
Click the following link and watch the video. It’s in Korean but video image speaks for itself. The nasty dust storm which hit China(today or yesterday)
http://media.daum.net/foreign/others/view.html?cateid=1046&newsid=20080318175405171&cp=ytni
All Socialist, Pro-Commie
> Beijing events could be postponed in case of heavy pollution: IOC
I vote for permanent postponemnet of the Beijing events and a disbandment of the thoroughly-discredited IOC.
Nevermind the Olympics, everyone is welcome to watch and enjoy The Rugby, The Cricket, The Netball and The Rugby League...
Beijing and all its inhabitants are expendable...just ask their government.
China doesn't have a pollution problem...just ask their leaders.
China has the best QA in the world for all their exported products...just ask their leaders.
China doesn't commit copyright and patent theft...just ask their leaders.
This is going to be a wild year...
The Gobi Desert is 1600 miles from Beijing.
Actually, for the last 15 years they have with growth at 10 to 15% a year. Much pent up demand was unleashed when the country opened up economically.
Beijing and all its inhabitants are expendable...just ask their government.
No, but they will be told to park their cars to clear congestion and hopefully the air.
China doesn't have a pollution problem...just ask their leaders.
China definately has a pollution problem.
China has the best QA in the world for all their exported products...just ask their leaders.
It was not Chinese QA that caused the tainted products. It is the responsibility of the companies that bought and brought in the merchandise to make sure their products are safe. Cheap managers started firing all their U.S. managers in China to save money and this is what they got.
China doesn't commit copyright and patent theft...just ask their leaders.
It is getting darn hard to find computer programs in English anymore. Most of the pirated software is now all in Chinese.
” It was not Chinese QA that caused the tainted products. “
Yes it was. This statement is ridiculous on its face. Read it and think about it. The people who made the product ARE responsible for what’s in it.
Can’t someone just buy Beijing a bunch of “pollution offsets” and solve the whole problem?
I hope that soon, the government will clean up the environment there...for the people and the country's future.
Makes more sense to do that than rush to increase military strength and infrastructure while trashing the environment. It's a balanced approach...something the US could do more of too.
DieHard the Hunter wrote:
I vote for permanent postponemnet of the Beijing events and a disbandment of the thoroughly-discredited IOC.”
I vote for permanent postponement of the IOC and the disbandment of the PRC!
> I vote for permanent postponement of the IOC and the disbandment of the PRC!
Well said!
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