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CHINA'S OLYMPIC CHALLENGE: GREEN IS GOLD
Wen Bo
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Beijing has promised the 2008 Olympics to be the greenest Games ever. China has invested billions of dollars to promote aggressive environmental policies, and Beijing itself has seen some marked improvements, such as increased public transportation and energy conservation. Despite these successes, China still struggles with unprecedented environmental challenges: Air and water pollution impact the environment and human health from the grasslands of Inner Mongolia to the manufacturing hubs in the Pearl River Delta.
While the Beijing Olympics have elevated the status of environmental protection in China, we hope the efforts seen in Beijing can be replicated across the country and continue long after the Olympic Games' Closing Ceremonies. A strong public environmental movement can ensure that these improvements reach China's vast provinces.
Chinese environmental groups can work with the government to implement environmental regulations and emulate Beijing's environmental achievements nationwide. But they need our support. China's environmental problems are not China's alone; they have also been created by Western consumption. We should all make a commitment to support China's community-based environmental efforts not only during the Olympics, but long into the future.
Wen Bo
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Beijing has promised the 2008 Olympics to be the greenest Games ever. China has invested billions of dollars to promote aggressive environmental policies, and Beijing itself has seen some marked improvements, such as increased public transportation and energy conservation. Despite these successes, China still struggles with unprecedented environmental challenges: Air and water pollution impact the environment and human health from the grasslands of Inner Mongolia to the manufacturing hubs in the Pearl River Delta.
While the Beijing Olympics have elevated the status of environmental protection in China, we hope the efforts seen in Beijing can be replicated across the country and continue long after the Olympic Games' Closing Ceremonies. A strong public environmental movement can ensure that these improvements reach China's vast provinces.
Chinese environmental groups can work with the government to implement environmental regulations and emulate Beijing's environmental achievements nationwide. But they need our support. China's environmental problems are not China's alone; they have also been created by Western consumption. We should all make a commitment to support China's community-based environmental efforts not only during the Olympics, but long into the future.