BEIJING -- Olympic host city Beijing was shrouded in haze on Monday 11 days before the Games begin, raising anxieties about whether it can deliver the clean skies promised for the world's top athletes. The city's chronic pollution, a sometimes acrid mix of construction dust, vehicle exhaust and factory and power plant fumes, has been one of the biggest worries for Games organizers. Beijing has ordered many of its 3.3 million cars off roads and halted much construction and factory production in an effort to cut pollution before the Games open on August 8. But a sultry haze persisted on Monday, and state media said Beijing might be forced to restrict more cars and shut more factories if the pollution persists." Chris Buckley reports for Reuters July 28, 2008.
See Also:
China Says It Can Clean Up in 11 Days (Christian Science Monitor)
"Wall of Smog To Greet Athletes" (Canberra Times)
China's Cars Accelerate Global Demand for Fuel (Washington Post)
Pollution Worsens After Controls Kick In (Washington Post)
