Amidst all the issues we can pray on for China in this year, the issue of air pollution is one that concerns the athletes - who are, lest we forget, the reason the games exist - as well as Beijing residents.
China in Olympics pollution drive says the BBC today. Olympic athletes look for a solution to Beijing's pollution is the IHT. This short BBC video is good: Beijing Pollution
There is a lot more one could read. But forgive me if I sometimes sound like a broken and repeating recording. Before you criticise, or tell Beijingers they don't need so many cars, and that industry should slow down, put yourself in their shoes. Many families are only now able to afford their first car; one car, not the three or four per household so common in the west. Last summer I sat and listened to a CCTV9 (Chinese English channel) interviewer talking to a US delegation advising on environmental issues. They told him the Chinese government should stop people buying more cars. His response was simply something like this: "don't you have the highest per head population of cars in the world?" Yes. "Have you tried telling your people they should have less cars?" Answer: "No! We don't tell people that sort of thing. and it would slow down growth." His response was simply, "well, why do you expect us to do that?"
That is not the whole answer. They do need to do something. They are. The problem is that life continues after the games, and they want growth to continue. So that means industry.
Please pray for wisdom. And supernatural intervention to give a good games, with a lot of fresh air!
