Greening the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

1. Greening the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games CHEM 20204 Marty Beres & Charley Spear

2. Green Olympics • Pledged to the Int’l Olympic Committee to achieve WHO standards for urban air quality in time for 2008 Olympic Games • Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games (BOCOG) adopted a three-tiered goal • 1) Host a “Green Olympics” • 2) Conduct a “High-tech Olympics” • 3) Create a “People’s Olympics” • By achieving these goals, Beijing and China hope to strengthen public awareness of environmental protection • While at the same time promoting the application of new technologies

3. Green Olympics • BOCOG is committed to a Zero Net Emissions Games, where it hopes to minimize emissions of air pollution associated with hosting • Additionally, BOCOG will obtain offsetting emissions reductions in SO2 and CO2 • Beijing’s strategy for cleaning the air mainly depends on the reductions in the use of coal, and enforcing tougher fuel quality and emissions standards

4. Environmental Concerns • Air pollution (specifically smog) • Major polluting industries in Beijing • Coal remains a key energy fuel in China • Particulate matter (PM10) in Beijing greatly exceeds World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines • Smog results from a mixture of heavy coal burning, smoke, and sulfur dioxide • City’s geographical location worsens the pollution problem • Mountain ranges that surround Beijing and block air circulation; prevent dispersion of air pollutants • High number of dust storms endured per year (approximately 70/yr)

5. Environmental Concerns • Currently, air pollution is at least 2-3 times higher than the WHO deems safe • Potential effects on Olympic athletes • Air pollution coupled with heat and humidity will make it very hard for athletes to compete http://youtube.com/watch?v=5dmHWoQtelQ • Especially for those that partake in outdoor endurance events • Unlikely to see many outstanding performances or record breaking times in endurance sports • Many competing countries are sending their athletes over as late as possible to limit exposure to air pollution • Japan and S. Korea have set up offshore training camps and villages to house their athletes during the games

6. Public Transportation • Under-utilization of city’s public transpo. network • Public ground transpo. capacity is 19 million passengers per day, but only 8.5 million ride daily • Offering free rides on public transpo. for spectators holding tickets • Recently installed Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) lines allow 100,000 people per day to ride • Older vehicles have been scrapped in favor of new ones powered by compressed natural gas

7. Public Transportation • Chinese gov’t also expanding surface and underground rail lines • Eight newly constructed lines will have the capacity of approximately 4 million people/day • Gas-powered small vehicles still pose a problem considering wide availability of cleaner fuel options • Talk of a proposal that would only allow vehicles w/ certain license plate digits to be driven on specific days • Promote riding bikes to and from places • A total of 3,060 gas-powered cars will be deployed which will meet modern emissions standards such as the Euro III Standard

8. Green Friendly Materials & Ozone-Depleting Chemicals • Olympic organizers are avoiding use of chemicals that damage the ozone layer such as carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform • Ozone-damaging substances used in refrigeration units and air conditioning are prohibited to use • Coca Cola & McDonald’s are helping to promote an ozone-friendly Olympics • Supplying over 4,000 bottle coolers that use natural refrigerants • Beijing officials are planting ‘seed clouds’ to induce rainfall by shooting up silver iodate pellets • This should provide assistance in removing pollution from the air

9. Solar Power • Solar photovoltaics are being used as a source of energy • Convert sunlight into electricity to power street light lamps and to heat Olympic swimming pools • The National Stadium is being lit by a 130 KW photovoltaic system • Another energy saving technology is the use of translucent membranes in the ceilings and walls of the Nat’l Aquatics Centre • Will allow for natural sunlight to fill the stadium

10. Help from the U.S. • U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is working with Chinese gov’t to help reach their environmental goals • Official agreement b/w the DOE and Beijing called the “Green Olympics Protocol” • Established the first U.S.-China Joint Working Group to address 10 specific areas to improve upon • Includes natural-gas technology, hydrogen and fuel-cell vehicle demonstration, and urban transportation

11. Other ways to help ‘green’ the Olympics • Promoting a ‘hydrogen park’ in the Olympic village which will demonstrate hydrogen technology by operating five buses using Hythane technology (mix of hydrogen and natural gas) • General Motors has also agreed to donate zero-emissions electric buses in time for the Games • Encouraging 120,000 families to use natural gas • Local Beijing districts are taking part in tree-planting projects to place over 200 evergreens locally around the Olympic Village

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