Despite the continuing yellow-tinged smog, Beijing's Olympic organisers are adamant everything will be all right on the night, writes Clifford Coonanin Beijing.
PANICKED BY a raft of criticism over the failure so far to meet Olympic clean-air promises, Beijing city officials are pulling out all the stops to make sure the pollution clouding the capital's skies is gone by the time the games start on August 8th.
The "Bird's Nest" Olympic stadium and the futuristic Water Cube are ready for action and look truly fantastic, but you need to get up close to see them through the yellow-tinged smog. The hugely embarrassing prospect of athletes wearing face masks to compete is no longer as ridiculous as it sounds.
Beijing's Olympic organisers are adamant everything will be all right on the night of the opening ceremony. They say that all the measures they have taken to combat pollution will have ensured clean air for the athletes and the 3.5 million visitors expected in the city.
They have introduced an array of measures designed to ensure the pollution is gone and even though there is just over two weeks to go, most Beijingers seem confident the Communist Party can pull a rabbit out of a hat when it comes to cleaning up the skies for the athletes.
Beijing is one of the world's dirtiest cities, choked with smog that is often two or three times the maximum allowed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
And fighting pollution is taking on the aspect of a national campaign against smog, with everyone being encouraged to do their civic duty to make sure the air is pristine for the games.
This is something the Communist Party is very good at - they've done it before for big events like party congresses and anniversary marches.
Some are even saying that the government will build huge fans in the Perfumed Hills to blow away the smog, if worst comes to worst.
On the streets of Beijing, everyone moans about the pollution - but all are confident it will be lifted for the duration of the Games.
Wang Hui, 42, a convenience store owner, says he does not feel the environment is improving.
"It's the same as it's always been. The Olympics is an opportunity. I'm confident the government will do a lot to improve it," says Wang.
Last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave qualified support to Beijing's efforts to combat pollution, with the IOC's chief inspector, Hein Verbruggen, saying Beijing "looked ready" but that the IOC needed "to see how temporary measures in the city will make an impact on air quality". Du Shaozong, spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, says things are getting better.
Cui Qunjie, 31, a designer at a museum, says statistics show more blue sky days this year.
"During the Olympics the air condition will improve - the government is able to do this.
"For example, during the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1999, in just a few days, Beijing had blue skies and the pollution seemed to disappear suddenly," says Cui.
From last Sunday, private cars have been banned on alternate days, depending on whether their number plates are odd or even, forcing drivers to find other ways of getting to work.
"The measure to make private cars follow the odd and even policy will do a lot for the environment, keeping those high emission cars off the streets," says Peng Junna, 25, a graduate student majoring in economics.
Even Beijing Capital Steel, one of China's leading steel makers and the capital city's major polluter, is fulfilling its commitment to cut output and pollution by 70 per cent for the Olympics.
The Beijing steel plants are located 17km west of Tiananmen Square and have long been blamed for the city's poor air. Three of its four mighty blast furnaces have been extinguished, and Capital Steel has slashed monthly production to 200,000 tonnes in the third- quarter, says the group's president, Zhu Jimin.
The group's efforts should cut sulphur dioxide, soot and dust by half this year.
As far as the athletes themselves are concerned, Wong Chitming of the University of Hong Kong's Department of Community Medicine warns that Olympic athletes exposed to Beijing's polluted air face possible blood circulation problems which could affect their performance, and says they should avoid crowded places whenever possible.
"Athletes consume more air and this can end in cardiovascular problems.
"Particulates can get into the respiratory system and blood, creating an inflammatory response," says Wong.
"Blood viscosity goes up and this affects circulation and . . . energy distribution. Muscles that need the energy may not get it. At worst, people can even land in hospital," says Wong.
The International Olympic Committee has already said that it may reschedule endurance events in efforts to remove potential health risks. No one is expecting any records to be broken in the endurance events at the Games.
Twice-champion Haile Gebrselassie, an asthma sufferer, has pulled out of the Olympic marathon, but the Ethiopian hopes to run in the 10,000-metre event.
Experts at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) say the levels of ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitric oxide and other pollutants in Beijing's air are asthmagenic, meaning exposure can inflame the airways of sensitive people and even cause an asthma attack.
Similar problems have been witnessed in past Olympic cities of Atlanta, Athens and Seoul.
Wong advises athletes to avoid crowded places and eat lots of vegetables and fruit.
"Fruit and vegetables may help. Our past study has shown that they can reduce the ill effects of air pollution," he says.
If all else fails, the Chinese air force is getting ready to bombard the smog with crystals to clear the pollution.
