Beijing air quality, 2008 Olympics
by Warwick Hughes

My attention was taken on 22 March 08 by an article in the Canberra Times, beautifully headlined, "Beijing air better than IOC feared".
Which suggested to me that the IOC had studied only a year of air quality (AQ) data
Digging deeper thru Google I found the a UK  IOC press release  outlining  what had been done and I was surprised to find the IOC had only examined AQ data  for the period in August 2007  corresponding with dates of the 2008 Olympics - 8 to 29 August 2007.
In my several decades of  scrutinising conclusions drawn from scientific data, seldom have I encountered a more dubious procedure.
I am waiting for media comment from the many,  mainly Govt, AQ scientists around the world and so far the silence is deafening.
AQ experts may well be talking quietly to the IOC or  Chinese AQ scientists,  but we have no way of knowing that, and neither organisation is noted for transparency.


Also found this International Herald Tribune article casting doubt on Govt claims that Beijing air quality had improved.

There is a weblog commenting on Beijing AQ issues

I found this page in English by the Chinese  "Ministry of Environmental Protection", The People's Republic of China,  (MEP); they publish daily API values but I saw no sources for long term AQ data.
Here is a link to the  Chinese  "Vehicle  Environmental Protection Website", where daily data is published but I could see no data history.
I also found this site carried numerous downloadable reports into AQ issues for many Asian cities.
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/propertyvalue-13854.html

I downloaded the 125 page pdf file of the "Report on the State of the Environment in China" for 2006.
A section on  AQ starts at page 50 but two graphics are blacked out on page 51 but I found this graphic comparing SO2 and NO2 levels for 2005 - 2006.

Cartoon from Canberra Times featuring our new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in the big wide world.

I intend to keep seeking long term Chinese AQ data or graphics of same and can be contacted at sanur2007  (at sign)  warwickhughes.com