This week, the Chinese unveiled Beijing’s new Olympic Green Convention Center, touting its energy efficiency and eco-friendly design. Yet the city continues to struggle with the city's air quality amid concerns about the health of the 10,500 athletes and hundreds of thousands of visitors who will descend on the city August 8.
The Convention Center is part of the larger Olympic Green complex, which includes 13 venues, including the Olympic Stadium and National Swim Center. During the Olympics, the Convention Center will be the site for fencing and shooting competitions, as well as the main press center and international broadcasting center. After the Olympics, the building will undergo some renovation and reopen as the China National Convention Center in July 2009. "Green elements" include a central vacuum system, Beijing's first central refuse collection system, an energy efficient ice-cooled air-conditioning system and a uniquely designed roof to collect rainfall.
Despite these strides in green construction, it has been an ongoing battle to clean up the city’s air quality before the games begin. According to the Chicago Tribune, this week’s heavy haze was among the worst seen in Beijing in the past month, despite drastic pollution controls initiated on July 20 that included pulling half the city's 3.3 million vehicles off the roads. Other pollution control measures include halting most construction and closing some factories in the capital and surrounding provinces. The Beijing “EPA” is hoping that wind and rain will help pollutants to dissipate so that they don’t have to institute emergency measures during the games, which involve pulling more cars off the road and closing more factories. Read more
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