21 March 2008
Should China Be Hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games?
Posted by Debo Hobo under: Green Matters; International-Destinations; News; Travel-General .
Should China really have been granted the privilege of hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games? There is an overwhelming amount of issues plaguing this venture which include the lack of clean water, safe healthy foods and the overall well being of its citizens and participants not to mention tourists.
People walk around Tiananmen Square shrouded with smog October 26, 2007 in the outskirts of Beijing, China. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has warned some outdoor events could be effected from Beijing’s poor air pollution. Image source: About.com
The Beijing that we will be fed to us via television will not be a true representation of what is really going on behind the scenes. This country’s ethics and humanity are being tested right before our eyes and they are failing miserably.
Here are just a few of the issues that caught my eye. It’s possible that:
* A forced shutdown of Beijing’s factories and power plants during the games will throw China into an economic downturn.
On March 10, Haile Gebrselassie, the world record holder in the marathon, ruled out competing in the race at August’s Beijing Olympics. The city’s notoriously bad air pollution posed a threat to his health over the 26.2-mile course, the Ethiopian runner said.
* Diversion of safe food to the Olympic Village will cause food riots elsewhere in China.
Although overall inflation is running at just 8.7% annually, food costs soared 23.3%, according to the National Statistics Bureau. The price of pork, a staple source of protein, has climbed 63% since February 2007. The price of cooking oil has risen 41%.
At 10 special farms, carefully chosen pigs were being raised with only the purest food, air and water. The pork, according to the China Meat Research Center, will cost at least twice as much as pork now on the market in China.
Think about how that goes over in a country that has recently witnessed deaths as crowds rushed to buy cheap cooking oil. This pork will be absolutely safe to eat, but most Chinese won’t be able to afford it. Image Source:TreeHugger.com
* The transfer of 80 billion gallons of water – equal to the annual water consumption of Tucson, Ariz., a city of 535,000 — from Shaanxi and other provinces in northwestern China will shut down factories and agriculture in the region.
Water pollution is, in some ways, easier to fix. Just pump in enough clean water from surrounding areas to meet the needs of the 16,000 athletes and officials who will arrive in Beijing for the games (and to make the city look lush and green for an international TV audience).
One tiny problem: The city and surrounding region aren’t exactly swimming in water. Beijing sits at the edge of the water-poor northern China plain, more than 90 miles from the sea and distant from any of China’s major rivers. To make up for the deficit in surface water, Beijing has relied on wells, but the city has pumped water out faster than it is replaced from natural sources. The groundwater level under the city has fallen 75 feet in the past 50 years.
To get water for Beijing, surrounding provinces have been ordered to ship the cleanest water to the capital. In some farm areas, that means no water from local reservoirs and limited irrigation supply from local wells. Farmers in some areas have been ordered to grow only corn, which takes less water but fetches a lower market price than rice or vegetables. Compensation to poor farmers required to ship water to the richer city: about $30. And even that isn’t paid to everyone.
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are quickly turning into an economic and political disaster.
Unfortunately due to the amount of monetary investment it is too late to pull the Olympic privilege from Beijing, China. But, in the future the Olympic committee needs to really sit down and evaluate the economic impact on a country and is citizens prior to granting this massive money making venture. What are your thoughts?
Don’t miss a minute… Subscribe to Debo Hobo RSS Feed
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Related posts:
- Should You Boycott Repressive Countries? When you travel to places that don’t respect human rights, are you supporting an authoritarian regime, or fostering the free exchange of ideas? Bookmark to: Sphere: Related ContentIf you...
- Beijing Olympics Topiary Garden Visitors and participants at this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing will be able to visit the novel World Botanic Gardens Exhibition to find out more about “Homes for plants,...
- Protestors in Paris call for Olympic Boycott Hundreds of pro-Tibetan protestors demonstrated at Trocadero as the relay of the Beijing Olympic torch passed through Paris on Monday. Bookmark to: Sphere: Related ContentIf you enjoyed this post,...
- U.S. Gas prices hit an all time high U.S. gasoline prices topped out today-Monday at $3.50 per gallon for self-serve regular, according to AAA — the highest average price the national auto club has ever recorded. AAA’s...
- Hollywood Elite Spielberg Gets Blasted Again In anticipation of Sunday’s 2008 Academy Awards Hollywood prepares the way for its acting elite Wednesday as the red carpet was rolled out. Although the recently settled writers strike...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
I have no clue how they managed to lay hands on getting the games to begin with.
Oh well. Money rules the brains.
I think the Bejing Olympics should be held off until China can clean up a bit. This is not a political statement but rather one of safety to the athletes. Most of these athletes are more then likely going to suffer from sort of lung disease after the games and thereby hurt their professional careers. It is irresponsible for China to be conducting business the way they are and quite frankly it is high time for the residents of China to do something about it. Pronto!
If I was an athlete vying for an Olympic medal, I would pass. My conscience wouldn’t allow me to go if I were to remain true to myself. By attending, the action behind it is in support of China’s politics let alone having full knowledge about its cuisine, “Dog Paws in Soy Sauce.”
Stand up with Tibet-Support the Dalai Lama.
With my asthma, I could not even go to Bejing, let alone compete, in the Olympics. The air looks yucky.
Well since i cant go there to watch it live, i think i will watch it via tv.
Anyway each country have its own unique so i think China still a good country to host the olympic games.
Well, I think they should continue to host. Similarly with what you thought, it would be hard to pull out the olympics from China due to the huge investments they had spent.
But in fairness to them, the last time I went to China was last year and I think they had improved vastly. Comfort rooms and toilets now are star - rated similar to that of hotel…
Eric
As the Olympic are literally in a few days, I wondered if your thoughts are still the same? I still intend to boycott by not watching and refraining from purchasing any sponsor products. I hop I stick to my guns on this. What say you?
I meen, that it is good, that the Olympicgams are in China now, but I´m really sad, that they risk the live of the poor farmers in the other regions.
They are a part of Chinas population!
And a green city is´nt so impirtant how a humans live!!!
Mariza-thank you for your comment, I had hoped more people would speak their minds on this subject, but it looks like they are too afraid.
I still think that the problems in China should be corrected Pronto. The enviromental damage that they are doing to their ecosystem is a short term and myopic way of conducting business. This is irresponsible to their own citizens and to the world. There are too many national treasures in China that could be damaged because of their choices now.
We have a few French restaurants around here(Dallas, TX) but I’m sure they are nothing like the real thing. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your opinions on the China and the Olympics.
That is a great thought.. I wasn\’t thinking in that direction.
China did a fantastic job with the Olympics, especially the opening and closing ceremonies..
http://asiaherald.com - asia business news.