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December 2, 2008 10:31:29 PM CST

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8 Stories

 IOC, BBC Spar Over Beijing Air

But pollution readings by BBC tell a different story

BBC BBC Aug 7, 08 1:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - The International Olympic Committee says there is nothing wrong with the air in Beijing and praised China's "extraordinary" efforts to clean up pollution ahead of the Games' kick-off tomorrow. But the BBC disagrees, reporting its own analysis that shows Beijing's air pollution at nearly four times World Health Organization standards. More »

More about:  China • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Beijing • air pollution • International Olympic Committee • air quality

ANALYSIS

 Bejing's Clean-Air Blitz
 Falls Short 

Independent readings, photos show smog persists despite pre-Olympic crackdown

Wired Wired Aug 5, 08 1:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Chinese government’s goal of dispersing the thick smog around Beijing is not working, Wired reports after analyzing independent data. Efforts including factory shutdowns, car bans, and cloud seeding have not improved air quality, with pollution levels still far above the World Health Organization’s standards on most days. Heavy rain has been the only factor that truly diminishes particulate matter, scientists say. More »

More about:  2008 Beijing Olympics • Beijing • air pollution • air quality

 Beijing Becomes
 Obsessed With Rain

Chinese people want some, but not too much, for Olympics

Washington Post Washington Post Jul 31, 08 1:33 PM CDT
(Newser) - Talking about the weather isn’t just idle conversation in Beijing these days—it’s a national obsession, the Washington Post reports. The country is so anxious for a sunny Olympics—with just enough rain to clear the smog, of course—that changes in the forecast have become front-page news. Monday even saw the launch of Olympic Weather News , a daily newspaper devoted entirely to the topic. More »

More about:  China • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Beijing • weather • pollution • air pollution • air quality • weather modification

Beijing Amps Up Anti-Pollution Measures

New cuts on factories, cars as air flunks tests ahead of Olympics

New York Times New York Times Jul 31, 08 8:28 AM CDT
(Newser) - Beijing today rolled out new emergency measures to ease pollution, with the Olympics just more than a week away. The new rules will close more factories and take more vehicles off the road, in a wider radius around the capital, in the event of “extremely unfavorable weather conditions"—like hot, humid air that traps pollution. Beijing failed to meet China's national standards for air quality—already more lenient than those of the US—for 4 consecutive days recently, the New York Times reports. More »

More about:  China • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Beijing • pollution • air pollution • air quality

 Clean-Air Changes
 'Imperil Parks' 

Rules make allow power plants nearby

Washington Post Washington Post May 16, 08 4:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - Clean air rules likely to be changed this summer are causing serious concerns about future pollution at some of America's most spectacular national parks, reports the Washington Post . The changes will pave the way for 28 new coal-fired power plants near ten parks, according to a report supported by some National Park Service officials . Parks already have "impaired visibility" because of pollution, and the changes represent a major "setback," said one official. More »

SF Bay Area Businesses Face Penalties for Pollution

Fines would range from $1 to $195K per year

New York Times New York Times Apr 17, 08 11:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - San Francisco Bay Area businesses could face major fines—the first ever imposed by a local government—based on the amount of climate-changing emissions they produce annually, the New York Times reports. The move, which the Bay Area Air Quality Management District could make official May 21, would skirt plodding debate that has held up action at the national and state levels. More »

More about:  environment • San Francisco • oil refineries • air quality • Bay Area • Shell Oil

 EPA Ignores Advisers
 on Pollution Cap

Sets higher limit than own experts' recommendations

Washington Post Washington Post Mar 13, 08 7:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - Ignoring the recommendations of its own scientists, the Environmental Protection Agency yesterday reset standards for pollution-forming ozone from cars and factories at a level critics say may cost thousands of lives. The new cap is lower than the old level but still far above the limit urged by EPA experts, reports the Washington Post . More »

SoCal Bans Wood Burning on Bad Air Days

But fireplace lovers need not fret: only 24 days per year

Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Mar 8, 08 8:08 AM CST
(Newser) - Officials in charge of air quality in Los Angeles and surrounding counties have banned the use of wood-burning fireplaces during certain high-pollution days. The fines would only be levied on about two dozen winter days, and wouldn't affect gas fireplaces, wood-burning ovens in restaurants, or homes above 3,000 feet, the Los Angeles Times reports. More »

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