It seems that Beijing's various measures designed to lower its overall air pollution in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games is working, though additional and more drastic measures may be required. You may recall that the city began limiting traffic on July 20, a move which has helped lower the air's nitride count some 48-percent and drop its particulate matter rating from [the seemingly arbitrary number of] 90 to 44. Still, so-called "sauna weather," where high-humidity and low-wind conditions exist at once, could force the city into removing up to 90-percent of all cars from its densely packed roadways. Though that would likely be a serious blow to the city's inhabitants, experts predict that the ban would only be necessary for a few days and would alleviate the remaining air-quality problems. All of these changes deemed necessary by the World's athletes make us wonder if conditions will immediately revert to their pre-Olympic state or if the city will continue on a path of air-quality improvement.

[Source: China View]

In preparation for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games scheduled to begin on August 8, the city of Beijing in China has now begun limiting traffic through its busy streets. Due to the heavy smog and polluted air in Beijing, cars will be allowed to drive only on alternating days based on the license plate of the vehicle. This means that only half of the 3.3 million vehicles currently registered in the city will be allowed to drive each day, theoretically cutting emissions in half.

In addition to the automobile traffic measures, the city has begun limiting manufacturing plants to 70-percent of the emissions they had previously been allowed. These new programs are in addition to the ban on heavy trucks in the city which took place starting on July 1. To offset the problems that inhabitants would likely have with their daily transportation needs, the city has beefed up its public transportation systems by adding additional buses and subway routes. What effect, if any, these measures will have on air quality will be seen come August.

[Source: CNN]