Beijing Olympics: sailing on a sea of algae
This year's Olympic Games have been a hotbed of environmental news and gossip -- and they haven't even started yet. The latest environmental challenge facing Beijing's Olympic committee is an out-of-control algae bloom of Biblical proportions. With about 6 weeks to go before the sailing regatta, a carpet of algae is sprouting up over 5,000 square miles of the Yellow Sea -- including the Qingdao sailing area. Chinese officials say there's no "substantial link" between the bloom and the fact that many of China's coastal cities dump untreated sewage into the sea. Instead, they argue that it's excessive rainfall and warmer than normal sea temperatures. Hmm, I bet the sewage didn't help though.
In the wake of the bloom 20,000 students volunteers and concerned citizens have been enlisted to scoop the algae in preparation for the games. Officials are also in the process of building a 30-mile fence around the sailing area in order to keep out the green tide.
The latest round of environmental controversy kicked off when the Australian media snapped a pic of their team cutting through a bed of algae while on a practice run. Although conditions may not be ideal, it seems like the Chinese will probably have the algae cleared out in time for the regatta. So, the algae panic will probably amount to nothing more than yet another eco-embarrassment for China. According to Yuan Zhiping, an Olympic Sailing official:
"I believe we will make sure the Olympics sailing area is clean by July 15 through our efforts, and make sure the Olympics sailing goes smoothly."
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