- Sun Ying:
Dear friends from the Media welcome to today's press conference we've just concluded a press conference I know that many of you might have missed your lunch. Today we are going to talk about the atmospheric monitoring during the games. It is the 11th day during the games. Beijing has been commended for its good air quality by many Media and athletes. Today we are very happy to welcome Du Shaozhong, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau; Guo Hu, Chief and spokesperson of the Beijing Meteorological Station and Leader of the Olympic Games Meteorological Service Team.
They will brief you on the atmospheric monitoring system.
2008-08-19 11:56:28
- Du Shaozhong :
Good afternoon. First I will give you a briefing on the atmosphere monitoring. We have had 100 percent compliance days in August and 9 great single days. Today is expected to be a great one as well.
I want to brief you on three things. The first is the characteristics of the Pollution Index. First we have had 18 100 percent compliance days including 9 grade-1 days in August -- this is the best we have had over 8 years. The API is better by 8 percentage points than the same time last year and the polltion control has a significant drop from corresponding period last year. Thirdly the pollutants are gathering at a much slower speed in the atmosphere so under stable weather conditions we can have the same level of air quality for several days. This shows that the measures aimed at ensuring good air quality during the Games, especially the temporary contingencies have gone a great way. We are indeed fulfilling in real earnest our pledges. To ensure air quality we have provided evidence to show we are going to fulfill our pledge.
2008-08-19 11:59:52
- Du Shaozhong:
The second aspect I want to brief you on is pollution control and relevant weather conditions since the start of August. I will give you further details. Air quality is related to meteoric conditions but given stable weather conditions it has more to do with reductions in pollutants. For instance, if we track the weather in Beijing over past few years, we can see in August this year we have similar weather conditions than previous years. That is, we have more bad days in the first ten days and then we have more good days later on. We have very different air quality -- we can ensure compliance days with or without good weather conditions. This means the drastic reduction in urban emissions is very good for our atmosphere and we have now reached a new balance point. This is a result of implementation of measures ensuring good quality during Olympics Games and a result of forceful monitoring.
2008-08-19 12:03:51
- Du Shaozhong :
Compared with previous host cities, Beijing has taken most intense efforts in cutting emissions and ensuring no pollution. Without these measures including taking car off the road, suspending construction and highly polluting production companies and without forceful supervision the current air quality would have been impossible.
After the Olympics Games we will give you related information about how we implemented measures to cut pollutions.
And we would like to thank all who went toward ensuring good air quality during the Olympic Games.
2008-08-19 12:05:49
- Du Shaozhong :
I want to again thank residents in Beijing and surrounding provinces and cities for what you have done.
Finally about the air quality over next few days – according to our analysis we are quite optimistic about up to standard air quality.
2008-08-19 12:07:06
- Sun Ying:
The floor is open to questions. Please restrict your questions to one.
2008-08-19 12:08:12
- CRI:
First I want to thank the Environmental Protection Bureau for your efforts to ensure air quality during the Games. Just now you mentioned the air quality is at best in past ten years. Do you have plans to ensure the air quality will be kept at the same level after the Olympic Games? Some people say we should continue these contingency plans after the Olympic Games. What is your comment on this?
2008-08-19 12:09:51
- Du Shaozhong:
First I want to stress the improvement is a result of joint efforts of people in Beijing and generous support of people in surrounding provinces and cities. This is not a result of the efforts of any government agencies or departments alone. Just now I also mentioned that the temporary emission reduction measures are working well during the Olympic Games that's why the air quality has improved during the Olympic Games. With regard to your second question I think this is a focal point of people for a long period of time. I want to stress two aspects: First the measures we have taken are long term ones and these measures will play a long term role to improve air quality and reduce air pollution in a long term to come. My second point is that we have noticed that the domestic and overseas public opinions and they pin high hopes on our efforts to ensure air quality and improve environment and they hope to see that through the hosting of the Olympic Games Beijing will enjoy better air quality and environment, so Beijing will be built into a livable city. We will listen to these views. The air quality and environment will be improved after the Olympic Games.
2008-08-19 12:10:20
- Christian Science Monitor:
I wanted to ask about cloud seeding. Have you made any use of cloud seeding technology to induce rain during the Olympic period and did cloud seed have anything to do with very heavy rain last Sunday and Tuesday night?
2008-08-19 12:11:51
- Guo Hu :
As a matter of fact, we only practiced artificial rain reduction for the Open Ceremony and have not used any cloud seeding so far during the Olympic Games.
2008-08-19 12:12:17
- People's Daily:
I have a question for Mr. Du. I want to ask about the monitoring of Air Pollution Index. How do you get this index, and how do you work to ensure this index is objective and scientific?
2008-08-19 12:12:37
- Du Shaozhong:
This is indeed a very complicated issue because the air quality monitoring system is in itself very complicated. I would like to make it very simple. In Beijing we have a whole set of air quality monitoring stations with 27 monitoring stations covering all districts and urban areas in Beijing to have auto monitoring of major pollutants on daily basis and the central control room will consolidate all the data and figures and publicize this to the general public. I want to say that the setting up of these facilities are of the national standard and these facilities are world class facilities that will produce data and figures.
2008-08-19 12:12:57
- Du Shaozhong :
Thirdly this system has been function well over the past seven years and it has provided long term information about air quality in Beijing and the results achieved and working conditions of the system has won wide acclaims from China and the rest of the world. On 9th of August the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Mr. Achim Steiner held a press conference here and on that press conference he spoke highly of this system. Mr. Steiner also extended an invitation on behalf o f me and himself to those people who are interested in air quality monitoring system to visit the air quality control center if time permits. I wish you to visit the center and I would like to answer questions of interest to you. Thank you.
2008-08-19 12:14:28
- China Youth Daily:
You mentioned that the improvement of air quality is a result of tremendous efforts made by people in Beijing and surrounding cities and provinces. With the traffic control measures being lifted after the Olympic Games, the air quality in Beijing will probably returned to the previous state. I'd like to ask: What road map has the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau drawn during the process to improve Beijing's air quality? Does this road map fit into the overall picture of Beijing's industrial upgrading?
2008-08-19 12:17:04
- Du Shaozhong:
You've raised a good question. Talking about the road map, we are fully aware that our road map is to improve environment in the course of development. As a matter of fact, after the Games, we will sum up our successful experiences and try to take full advantage of these outcomes. One important outcome of hosting the Olympic Games is the enhanced public awareness of environment. Nevertheless we are still faced by many challenges, one of which remains to be that public awareness of environmental protection is not adequate yet. Many problems have resulted from that.
2008-08-19 12:20:15
- Phoenix TV:
Just now you mentioned that you are not sure that the odd-even number car plate control will not continue after the Games or not. My question is, "why not?" Is it that the government or the people are not prepared?
2008-08-19 12:25:34
- Du Shaozhong:
What I mean is that these temporary emissions reduction measures will continue to play a role in some ways after the Olympics Games. As for the specific measures, whether it is an odd-even traffic control measure, we will study what measures we will take. I think it will take time for us to get ready; we will only be able to provide you with detailed information after the Olympic Games. No matter what means we will take after the Games -- whether the automobile vehicle pollutant reduction or construction or coal pollution reduction -- I believe the regulations will be more stringent and we will take some measures to make sure the air quality will reach a new level after the Olympic Games.
2008-08-19 12:26:24
- CCTV:
We have noticed that in the past few days the air quality in Beijing has improved remarkably and people will see some haze in the air but actually the air quality comply with standard so some people say this is the result of concentration of ozone. You can also see those small particles so do you have a time table to explain the ozone concentration and particulate matter 2.5?
2008-08-19 12:27:35
- Du Shaozhong:
I will first respond to your questions about the smoggy weather and the relationship between meteorological conditions and air quality. In the past we have been stressing the importance of looking at those monitoring data to see whether the air quality is good or not, and to find the concentration of pollutants in the air. As long as these figures are up to standard, compliant, we will see that the air quality is good. But I think that there is still a gap between meteorological conditions and temperature and humidity in the air and also the visibility and peoples' feeling of comfort or not.
2008-08-19 12:29:12
- Du Shaozhong :
I remember I earlier held a press conference and others asked about the humidity. I explained the situation and showed that the humidity did not affect the API. And that's why we draw the conclusion that the air quality was compliant with standards. I want to explain some common sense to you: That actually the foggy weather conditions are the result of vapor in the air. The vapor will make healthy accumulations of pollutants in the air and the pollutants in some weather conditions will transform in other weather conditions, so if total emission is there it will transform in the air.
But air quality does not only depend on meteorological conditions. It also depends on emissions, and to improve air quality we reduce emissions. So if we have favored meteorological conditions the degree of pollution will be first and if we have poor conditions the degree will be second. By raising the questions about ozone and smog particles, you have actually given us assignments to do! Actually, I want to say that the improvement of air quality takes time. Once we solve one problem we will be confronted with bigger changes so we have to do this job one step by one step.
2008-08-19 12:31:11
- Du Shaozhong :
And for the problems you have raised, I believe we have counter measures to solve them. I have repeatedly explained to the media about these problems, but at this moment I will stress that we make sure three commitments we have made to international community will be honored. One is to monitor air quality on a daily basis and monitor pollutants on a daily basis, and the second is to improve air quality during the year, and the third is to ensure good air quality during the Olympic Games and to make sure four major pollutants will reach standard. Once we have reached this goal we are seriously considering other goals.
2008-08-19 12:34:36
- Guo Hu:
I still have one thing to add about the smoggy days you mentioned. Actually on the press conference we gave on the 8th of August we said heavy pollution will usually lead to bad visibility, but it's not necessarily the other direction. Poor visibility is not necessarily caused by heavy pollution; it may be the day is high humidity because of a sustained rainfall on the previous day, so that's why on the 8th and 9th of August the visibility was no more than ten kilometers. But we have a very high humidity that is between 80 and 90 percent. So that's why our concern is not that we have foggy days on the 8th of August: foggy days and poor visibility and heavy pollutants are quite difference concepts.
2008-08-19 12:35:35
- Guo Hu :
And from the 4th to 9th of August we had unfavorable meteorological conditions that made the pollutants more difficult to disperse in the atmosphere. However starting from 10th of August, we had some rainfall and actually had rainfalls on the 10th, 14th and 17th of August. In terms of the rainfall: I want to stress these rainfalls are naturally occurring and this rainfall has left very good air quality. On 10th of August we had favorable meteorological conditions, so we have more assured compliance days both between the 4th and the 10th of August when we had unfavorable meteorological days but ensured great days after the 10th of August.
2008-08-19 12:38:15
- Reuters:
I'd like you to tell me the forecast for the Closing Ceremony and what steps will be taken to improve the weather?
2008-08-19 12:41:06
- Guo Hu:
Since the opening of the Olympic Games we've had increasingly better weather conditions and we have had rainfalls every two to three days. Yesterday we had an expert consultation meeting and according to our prediction, there will be a rainfall between the evening of Aug. 20 and Aug. 21. We expect a cloudy day on Aug. 24.
2008-08-19 12:41:36
- AP:
So you're saying there should be a cloudy day on the 24. But if it turns out to be rainy, what will the schedule be when you decide to intervene?
2008-08-19 12:43:52
- Guo Hu:
Yes, the meteorological agencies have got fully prepared for any weather conditions during the closing of the Games, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies for Paralympics. We attach equal importance to these three ceremonies. So we will actually -- two days before the 24 -- that is the 22 -- we will release a very accurate prediction of weather conditions around the Bird's Nest on the 24.
2008-08-19 12:46:17
- Hong Kong Now TV:
Just a question related to weather. We know the regatta is in Qingdao and there are two days left for this competition. Can you ensure good weather in this venue for the following two days?
2008-08-19 12:47:31
- Guo Hu:
Actually, the meteorological agency in Qingdao is responsible for the weather forecast in the competition area.
2008-08-19 12:47:48
- Sun Ying:
We'll close today's press conference. Thank you for coming.
2008-08-19 12:48:23
Sun Ying, the hostess
Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau
Guo Hu, chief and spokesman of the Beijing Meteorological Station
A reporter from China Radio International asks questions.
Speakers at the press conference
A reporter from The Christian Science Monitor raises questions.
A reporter from China Youth Daily asks questions.
A journalist from Phoenix TV asks questions.
A reporter from CCTV raises questions.
