Was It All Just a Game to You?

Beijing officials consider extending some clean-air measures beyond Olympics
Beijing's emergency measures to clear its famously polluted air during the Olympic Games have been largely successful, with the city reportedly experiencing the cleanest summer air it's had for over a decade. But now that the Olympics are over, full-time city residents have been pointing out how pleasant breathable air has been and how nice it would be to have it all the time. In response, Chinese officials, who are still under the international spotlight until the close of this month's Paralympic Games, hinted to the media recently that some clean-air measures may stay in place beyond the games' end. Officials have said that plans to reduce construction-site dust will be sped up, some of the city's most-polluting vehicles could be subject to more regulation, and that heavily polluting companies may be required to address their pollution problems in order to resume post-games operations. However, one of the most successful (and popular) measures to curb the city's pollution will not be continued after the games -- the restriction keeping half of the city's cars from operating each day.