As you can see, Beijing is once again shrouded in thick smog. The top photo was taken today (8/4/08). The bottom one was taken on Saturday (8/2/08). What a difference 2 days makes.
The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection classified today's pollution level as "fairly good."
"Car restrictions and other pollution-reduction measures are paying off, and the air quality in July has improved compared with last year. Traffic-related pollution had dropped significantly since July 20," deputy director Du Shaozhong tells reporters, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
BBC News says its tests -- here's a chart -- show that the level of particulate matter in the city is "almost six times higher than the recommended level." "The International Olympic Committee has said endurance events lasting more than one hour could be delayed if the pollution is too bad," the broadcaster reports. "But it remains unclear how bad the pollution has to be before an event is postponed."
In addition to air testing machines, CTV says the Chinese government is using "human sniffers" to track the source of bad smells.
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