Breathe in Beijing? Not Like LA Olympics

When Los Angeles hosted the Olympic games in 1984, dedicated efforts to reduce air pollution had a visible impact. Residents look back fondly on expanded mountain - to - ocean views, light traffic, and a respite from smog.

Now, with the Beijing Olympic games only days away, reporter Lisa Farino asks why the air quality in Beijing has not enjoyed similar improvement despite a concerted effort to reduce emmisions, pollution and air-quality impacts. In a July 31 article "Clearing the Air, Despite Major Changes Smog Continues to be an Issue in Beijing," Farino explains why clean air isn't always as easy as we wish.

"In an attempt to clean up the air, Beijing – a city of over 17 million people -- has made many dramatic changes to local pollution sources. "

"A series of progressively stricter emissions controls have been added to cars, taxis and buses. Gasoline has been reformulated to contain less sulfur. To encourage people to leave their cars at home, Beijing has substantially expanded its mass transit system, adding numerous new bus routes and six new subway lines to shuttle several million workers plus Olympic spectators through the city."

So why isn't air quality in Beijing getting better? Read the full article on msn.com