Fred Dreier of VeloNews gives his take of the pollution in Beijing, including photos: "After a few days in Beijing, VeloNews' Fred Dreier says masks seem like a really good idea".
Like Trek, I don't want to politicize the thread, so I'm keepin' my opinions to myself and letting those photos do the talking.
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Thread: Olympic cyclists
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08-07-2008, 12:30 PM #1
Ride your ride.
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"How about if we all just try to follow these very simple rules of the road? Drive like the person ahead on the bike is your son/daughter. Ride like the cars are ambulances carrying your loved ones to the emergency room. This should cover everything, unless you are a complete sociopath."
David Desautels, in a letter to velonews.com
Random babblings and some stuff to look at.
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08-07-2008, 05:29 PM #2
I am a work in progress..
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What I don't get is that they have known for what, 4 years or so that the Olympics would be held in their uber-polluted city, and have done next to nothing to rectify the situation, and THAT has been done too late to make a difference. Doesn't the IOC take environment into account? Just seems really stupid to me. And I've read a couple of reports the past couple of weeks about athletes boycotting because of the air quality. Such a shame.
Kristen!
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08-07-2008, 08:44 PM #3
Northern Amazon
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I agree that "cold hard cash" has a lot to do with this and I'm not too impressed with the IOC, but then, the IOC has never really impressed me in the past...
This being said, I would be curious to see some hard data about this pollution thing. Los Angeles and Athens are not especially "clean air" cities either, and lots of athletes were sick in Athens (I'm a bit too young to remember much about LA). Any data, anyone?
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08-07-2008, 10:07 PM #4
Of sky 'n earth
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At the time, Beijing won the Olympic bid to host the event, I truly wondered the sanity ..given the air quality.
I haven't been to Asia...yet. But I should have gone and nearly did, before Tienamen Square massacre event occurred.
Air quality was better then in Beijing. Now I worry with my partner's higher sensitivity to air pollution due to his allergies..
Most people that I know who lived for several years in the major Asian cities Bangkok, Beijing, Manila....marvel at the "clearer" air of Canada where they are now.
Beijing's pollution might be made more complex and dangerous because of China's coal-burning industries in nearby regions.. and other toxic particulate where it might be more heavily regulated for emissions in Canada and the U.S.Last edited by shootingstar; 08-07-2008 at 10:12 PM.
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08-08-2008, 06:31 AM #5
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My brother travels a lot for his company and he always tells me how bad Beijing's air is and not to go there for this reason.
He tries not to go himself but sometimes he just has to because of work. He was just saddened when he heard that the olympics were to take place there.
What was the IOC thinking????????? It's all about the $$$$$$ SAD!
Bad air and athletes . . . NOT GOOD!
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08-08-2008, 12:54 PM #6
I am a work in progress..
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Heaven forbid we should offend anyone. So the pollution AND the human rights violations will just be two huge giant proverbial elephants in the corner for the duration of the Olympics. I hate politics.
Kristen!
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08-08-2008, 02:17 PM #7
thickly settled
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Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson gives his take on Beijing here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...d=opinionsbox1
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