China's air pollution will likely kill some athletes

Jackson Clubb | 7/06/2008 3:17 pm | Shadowboxing the Apocalypse

The anti-pollution mask is the hot new fashion accessory. With the World's attention focused on the Beijing Olympics, lots of masks will be seen. Beijing has about the worst polluyion on Earth, and it's an immediate hazard.

Beijing Air Pollution Will Kill A Few Olympic Athletes; Alarmed US Training Expert Takes Precautions

Harsh prediction on consequeces of China's air pollution; Olympic officials appear oblivious, but training experts codesign masks for athletes to wear around town, so they won't keel over from the smog in foul Beijing air, the worst in the world

By Stephen Fox, Managing Editor Santa Fe Sun News , Jul 05, 2008

Runners gagged as they limbered up and smog engulfed Hong Kong's Tsing Ma Bridge. Pollution index readings on this morning in February 2006 were at 149, and any reading over 100 is unhealthy, yet 40,000 runners in China's Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon, were unaware of the coming tragedy.

Later that day,Tsang Kam-yin, 53, a three-time marathoner, collapsed and died; 20 runners would be hospitalized, many for respiratory ailments and asthma attacks. "Everyone who took part in the marathon was at risk of harm to their health from pollution," wrote Anthony Hedley, of Hong Kong University's department of Community Medicine, upbraiding the oblivious marathon organizers.

One obstacle is a weak legal system: without economic damages from civil lawsuits, pollution controls go nowhere, as there is no outside legal mechanism to punish polluters. "Mao basically killed or reeducated most of the lawyers and judges. There was a whole generation wiped out by the Cultural Revolution." Enforcing environmental laws works against local government's economic interests. "The system is corrupt and there are no lawyers who can bring a basic lawsuit," Orts notes. Further, China never developed anything like Greenpeace or the Sierra Club, forces for cleaner environmental movements around the world. The central government cracks down on non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, "because it's not part of their view of how society develops." The Chinese government is boosting its investments in the legal system, says Orts. The clean-up effort related to the 2008 Beijing Olympics shows "at least they understand this as a major issue."

Wilber's research shows certain pollutants as "significantly higher" than they were at Athens or Los Angeles, so he scouted for alternate training sites in South Korea, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia for use in the days before the Beijing Games. The triathlon team is training in South Korea, and the canoe and kayak athletes went to Japan. Wilber encourages athletes to arrive in Beijing at the last moment, and has tested athletes to see if they qualify for an exemption to use an asthma inhaler. He urges all to wear masks over their noses and mouths from the minute they step foot in Beijing until they begin competing! This strategy could give the U.S. team an edge over less prepared teams, but its downside is to run the risk of offending the host country, creating political tension at an event that is supposed to foster good will among nations.

Here's a great shot of blogger Chris Drumgoole and friends, in the stylish new masks.

sporting the brand new face masks brought to China by the BLUG's very own Pollution Expert, Julien.