For the past several decades, China has vehemently fought to host the Olympic games. They won the bid for the ’08 games, but the country's environmental stability was questioned almost as much as its communist policies. Of course, the recent flood of positive eco-news coming from Beijing isn’t coincidental, but some of the items beg us to ask, “Really?!”
Green Mountain - Citizens of China’s Yunnan province report seeing crews from the local forestry bureau arrive as early as last August to begin “greening” a nearby mountainside. But there were no fertilizers or seeds in hand—only a considerable amount of green paint. Somehow, the agency thought they could solve an environmental flaw by shelling out $51,000 to artificially cover it in a tone that looks nothing similar to the surrounding hues of green…or forest life…
Pass the Peas - Here’s an idea: encourage tourists to come to Beijing by releasing reports that its citizens have recently decided to be affable and courteous. Brilliant. The "civic index" of Beijing has apparently increased in the past several years, a measurement that takes into account citizens' "etiquette in watching sports events and willingness to contribute to the Olympic Games." Oh man, I
so wanna go to Beijing now...
Eco-Cities - China wants to exploit its efforts towards sustainability, so the logical step would be to build 11 eco-cities, right? The multi billion dollar project will include everything from windmill-powered homes to electric cars. Add to that the absence of any landfills, since all municipal waste will be recycled. A tall order? Yes. Expensive? Certainly. So will it happen? Reports estimate a 2030 completion of Dongtan, one of the cities. So, no pressure as of it. But it looks good, right?
Truthiness for the '08 Olympics
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