The 2008 Olympic Games has been a catalyst for urban and environmental improvement in Beijing. The Games in Sydney were promoted as "the Green Games" and the city did an exceptional job in terms of the environment. With a "Green Olympics" as a major goal for the Beijing Olympic Games, Beijing has instituted environmental measures.
With a population of about five times that of Sydneys, Beijing faces a far greater challenge. Furthermore, because some of Chinas factories were not previously alerted to environmental conditions, China can only do its best in the short time that remains to plant trees and adopt world best practices in environmental matters.
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) has announced that it will take cars off the roads during the Games and that most of the construction work will cease at the end of 2007. All these measures will be very necessary because the health of the athletes who are competing in the Games is what matters most.
Aside from environmental planning, BOCOG must be given credit for improvements in other areas. BOCOG has been doing an exceptional job so far. China can be very proud of what the organizing committee is doing, and what it will do in the future.
