"The congenital deficiency of Beijing's climate conditions requires a problem-tackling spirit in honoring the "Green Olympic" commitment and treating atmospheric pollution", said Ji Lin, deputy mayor of Beijing, at the First Meeting of the Forth Beijing Environmental Protection Committee.

Ji Lin said: "We must strive to make Beijing's "good weather days" reach 62 percent or higher in 2004. During the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Beijing's atmospheric quality must reach the standard every day. We must win this problem-tackling war".

According to data released by Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, until the end of June Beijing's "good weather days" reached 104 making up 57.1 percent of the total number of days. It was five days less year on year. Inhalable particle concentration increased 6.4 percent year on year. Gross suspended particle concentration increased 45.7 percent.

Judging by current pollution control measures and city size "good weather days" in Beijing urban area can only maintain at 60 percent. Survey results indicates that currently only Miyun Reservoir region can meet the requirement of the "green Olympic" plan.

At present stage factors that influence atmospheric quality such as coal combustion, vehicle emissions, construction site and road dust pollution, industrial pollution and bio-degeneration coincide in Beijing in the form of mixed pollution, which is very rare in the history of atmospheric pollution control, said Shi Hanmin, director-general of Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau.

"For composite atmospheric pollution any single measure by itself can not solve the problem. It requires the adoption of comprehensive pollution control measures directed at existing emission sources".

The typical product of mixed atmospheric pollution is particulate matter pollution. In 2003, 96 percent of the over-standard days were polluted by inhalabe particles.

In order to reach the 62 percent "good weather days" goal, during the latter half of the year Beijing will begin to control construction site dust pollution citywide on a large-scale; reinforce vehicle emission control and strive to upgrade or eliminate all 10-year-plus buses and diesel buses that are below Euro��standard; enhance industrial, coal combustion and soot pollution control and monitor the operation conditions of environmental protection facilities in companies engaged in metallurgical, power and construction material industries. After entering the heating season special emphasis should be put on checking the sulfur dioxide and soot emission of coal combustion boilers.

By People's Daily Online