Rain Helps Clear The Air In Beijing
12/08/2008 06:00
BEIJING - The downpour that washed out Olympic events in tennis, archery and rowing on Sunday also cleared up much of Beijing's dirty air.
On Monday, the city's air pollution levels dropped by more than half, registering a level of 38 - falling within the World Health Organization's guidelines for healthy air. It was the first significant drop in the air pollution index since the beginning of August.
Heavy rains that drenched the city on Sunday continued into Monday with sporadic showers, replacing the recent hot and muggy patch of weather with cooler temperatures averaging 25 C, though humidity remained relatively high.
Beijing's notorious pollution has been a concern for Olympic organizers and U.S. athletes from the start. Chinese officials have taken drastic measures to curb the sources of pollutants, shutting down scores of factories, stopping constructions and removing two million vehicles from the road for a two-month period.
The effect has been far less than what China had hoped for. Since the measures began on July 20, Beijing has only seen a handful of days where the level of particulate matter - tiny dust particles that are the worst pollutant - was within the range of what the WHO considers healthy.
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SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It really is a sad indictment when you have to shut down factories, stop construction, remove vehicles from the road and depend on a torrential downpour just in order to make your air breathable, isn’t it?