Climate & Nature...

Apparently, it’s unclear whether or not the “fog” that International Olympic Committee president James Rogge reported seeing earlier today in downtown Beijing is due to pollution or excessive heat and humidity. Either way, today’s haze marked the smoggiest day of the past week and, with the opening ceremonies just a day away, the I.O.C. is concerned that it may have to postpone events due to noxious air. Outdoor events, especially cycling, triathlon, and marathon running, are the most at risk, and I.O.C. officials are taking every precaution to ensure athletes’ health and safety. While Chinese authorities are confident that the air quality will remain at safe levels, the air pollution in Beijing is often three times higher than the U.S. limit on any given day.

It’s going to be interesting to see whether or not athletes opt out of tomorrow’s opening ceremony, where they’ll have to be outside for several hours. Look for Beijing’s pollution to become a theme over the course of the games—it may unfortunately play a significant role in the way several of the events unfold. There’s already been some controversy over American cyclists getting off the plane with pollution-cutting masks on. The smog, in conjunction with some serious humidity, not to mention the rising tensions of the China-Tibet conflict, could make things a little bit sticky over the next few weeks. Stay tuned.