The Olympics kick off in Beijing but have the Chinese succeeded in their goal to Green the Games in time?

For well over two thousand years, Olympic athletes have pushed themselves beyond the limitations of human nature. This summer, however, nature will be setting the limits for the athletes.

It’s the stifling smog mixed with hot humid temperatures forecast for Beijing that are worrying athletes more than their competitors.  Despite efforts to limit city traffic and industrial emissions, a thick haze of smog is cutting visibility and threatening the health of this elite group of dedicated men and women.

World record holding distance runner, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, has pulled out of the games altogether fearing irreparable lung damage while still more athletes are flooding the International Olympic Committee’s mailbox with requests for asthma medication.

With CO2 levels fluctuating only slightly from last minute efforts, it’s now clear to the world that our climate problems require more than a quick fix.

Photo by Natalie Behring.