Should I run behind a bus?

The video above is the skyline of Beijing. It's a sunny day and, like most industrial cities around the world, there is smog in the air. However, on any given day in Beijing, some researchers estimate that the pollutant level in Beijing is five times that of normal World Health Organization standards. With the Olympics looming, this problem is being considered by both athletes and doctors around the world, as some professionals say it will be impossible to break records in this environment. However, the conclusions both came up with are at opposite extremes.

Environmentalist have long warned about the dangers of having the Olympics in Beijing due to high pollution levels. However, athletes, in a misguided attempt to conquer the hostile environment, have begun to ask doctors around the world if there is anyway to acclimate themselves to the pollution. Many have even asked their doctors whether running behind a truck or during rush hour in a busy city will give them the edge when competing. The firm answers have been no. Doctors around the country are being very careful to make sure they steer athletes' mindsets in the right direction, so as to not cause harm to them.

Some doctors have gone even further by recommending and trying to require athletes to where masks and other breathing apparatus for the duration of their stay in Beijing. This is because, the bodies natural reaction to polluted air is to breathe less of it. It is a defense mechanism, according to George Thurston, a professor of environmental medicine at N.Y.U. School of Medicine. This defense, however, can lead to severe cramping in athletes when they run, due to the deficit in oxygen. Research has shown that the risk of heart attack, as well as other allergic reactions, are also elevated due to the toxins in the smog.

The results of this madness? Many teams have decided to keep away from Beijing and train and reside in such countries as Japan and South Korea until right before their events. Other teams have decided to run with masks on during their events in order to protect their athletes' lungs. Beijing authorities have announced that it will limit traffic and factory use up until the Olympics to try clear the skies (although a portion of the smog in Beijing comes from factories in the cities and countryside surrounding the city).

But maybe the most important result will be the publicity of what pollution can do to us as a global society if we do not take steps to control it now. Because with athletes refusing to live in the city that the Olympics are held in till the day of their events, much of the business and positive attention that Beijing would have gotten will be diminished.