Meteorologist Jackie Meretsky

2008 Beijing Olympics

The Olympic countdown has officially begun, as we are now one year away from opening ceremonies in Beijing on 08/08/08. Over the next year, the worlds finest athletes will be fine tuning their already perfectly toned physiques and preparing for the competition of a lifetime. Meanwhile, in China, a different kind of race is on with cleaner and less polluted air hopefully at the finish line.

MORE: NBC Olympics

China has been industrializing at a rapid rate and with such industrial growth comes greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. With the international spotlight on Beijing from now until the Olympics, the Chinese government is stepping up its efforts to reduce pollution by setting up an emissions quota system. The system is designed to phase out pollutants like the dust that mixers release into the environment.

Performers gather to kick off celebrations for the one year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Let’s talk about concrete mixers (get it…”rock solid”). Truth be told, I don’t think that much about concrete mixers. When I pass a construction site, I usually walk briskly to avoid the loud noise of that usually emanates from the machinery. Apparently I’m not the only one who minds the loud noise. Reducing noise pollution is part of the new plan that China’s 127 major cities, including Beijing, have put together to ban cement mixing at construction sites. The plan is to start on September 1, 2007, which is less than a year away from opening day of the summer Olympics in Beijing. In place of mixed cement, bulk cement will be used because it reduces dust and carbon dioxide and saves significant amounts of standard coals.

Sometimes, in order to get results, you need to create incentives. Hardly anything is free anymore… even a great smile can cost thousands of dollars and countless hours in an orthodontist’s chair. In the spirit of give and take, the Central Bank in China is considering creating a carbon trading exchange. What’s in it for traders? They will receive financial incentives for carbon credit trades. Knowing that there is strength in numbers, the central bank has also teamed up with the state EPA and the China Banking Regulatory commission to ban loans to new projects that have not been environmentally approved.

If these environmentally friendly trends in China continue, residents of Beijing, Olympic athletes, international spectators and the media will be enjoying the finest display of athleticism in a cleaner and clearer environment. Who can argue with that?