Prior to the 1984 LA Olympics, some stores in the Bay Area sold t-shirts showing athletes running on the track wearing gas masks. That vision is about to become a reality some 24 years later. The US Olympic team has developed breathing masks for its athletes to wear. I doubt anyone will wear them during competition, but you are sure to see them on the side-lines.
Despite what Americans would call draconian interventions, Beijing's air remains unsafe to breathe. Not just for athletes mind you, for everyone. So there you have it, the Chinese miracle in all its glory. A miracle that is also affecting India, Mexico, and other "developing nations."
You have to give the Chinese credit for guts, though. Since July 20, the Chinese government has enforced what no American politician would dare to do: they have limited driving by using odd-even license plate restrictions. They also reduced factory production around the city. Think this could ever happen here? Think again.
Northern California has had a record number of Spare the Air days this summer, but so far no politician has dared to even suggest similar measures. Granted our air is a still far better than Beijing air, but the principle and the results are what matters. The Bay Area air was definitely unhealthy and elected officials neglected their duty of protecting the public by failing to intervene in a meaningful way.
The "Beijing experience" has shown an improvement in air pollution of over 20% since the laws took effect. Unfortunately, Beijing's air is so polluted that 20% barely makes a difference. Now the Chinese are considering further measures. It is rumored they may remove up to 90% of cars off the road for the upcoming Games. What they really should do is make these changes permanent until a better solution can be found. However, I doubt that even China would do such an utterly sensible thing.
Once the Olympics are over, the Chinese miracle will no doubt continue unabated and soon enough their pollution will start affecting the rest of the planet. Because right now, human density is such that our activities have planet-wide implications.
Just in case you wonder, I am not worried about the planet. The planet will be here long after we are gone. The planet is irrelevant really. What matters is our habitat. It is disappearing order of magnitude faster than it should be because we are choosing to destroy it unnecessarily. Just so we can outdo the neighbors with our bigger, impractical, and mean-looking SUV's.
I urge everyone to follow the Chinese example and retire their cars. Permanently.
2 comments:
I'm not being a smart alec, but let me ask: Do you and all of your family live in cities with public transportation?
Because I don't. And while it seems like a good idea for everyone to chuck their cars and never drive again, it's actually a bit more difficult than perhaps it seems.
Yes, it would be nice if we lived in a dream world (aka: SoCal) where the weather is dreamy and bicycles will take us the block to the nearest store. Many, many of us do not live in such an idealized world.
I suppose we could all quit our jobs and move to the cities that have been intelligently planned (that's a whole different beef!) but where are the jobs coming from? Who is going to tell my 70-ish year old parents that they have to leave and move to a big city, simply for good transportation. Worse yet, who's going to tell my friend's brother that he needs an off-road wheelchair, because the van that he drives pollutes too much?
I guess I am just crabby today because I also believe we should reduce our consumption. That we should telecommute if we can. That combining trips and walking, WHEN FEASIBLE, is a good idea. I just get frustrated when people live in an area where it is very possible and then want those of us who do not live in those areas to make the same choices they can make. Anyway, sorry for sounding cranky.
I don't actually know where you live btw, I'll have to look after I finish this post. :)
San Francisco has very good public transport. You can also ride a bike although it is a little tricky. You are right about the weather though, it helps !
I do not really think we need to get rid of all cars. But we can certainly reduce driving by a good 90% from where it is now. And drive much smaller, more fuel efficient cars too.
As for retirement, my mom just move to a city so she could walk. It is easier when one is older, although not all cities are senior-friendly.
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