2008年北京夏季奧運會進入倒數第8天，這座素來煙霧瀰漫的北京市於7月30日的汙染程度，相較於前一天減低了一半以上。這是自官方當局考量到奧運舉行前的空氣品質，而開始限制開往市區的車流量、以及關閉工廠以來，所觀察到的最低數據。
一波冷氣流來襲與少量降雨掃空了污染源，也讓居民暫時脫離接連幾天炎熱又潮濕的天氣。
對奧運主辦單位而言，受汙染的天空籠罩著奧運主辦城市，一直以來都是最令人擔憂的問題之一。
為因應空氣污染的問題，各單位向官方當局建議，重新遷移在中國鋼鐵製造業者中居領導地位、然而在北京卻是主要汙染者的首鋼集團（Shougang Group），此外在每日3300萬的車流量中，限制其中半數進入市區，並終止大部分的建造計畫、興建廢物處理設備，以及多加利用地熱資源等。
中國環境保護部於7月31日說道，如果奧運舉辦期間內空氣汙染非常嚴重，有可能實施更嚴格的方法來降低工業及車輛排放的廢氣。
若中國氣象局預測接連兩天的天氣狀況極差的話，那麼鄰近北京的天津市與河北省就可能要擴大車輛與工廠的限制範圍。
環保部長說道，在這個情況下，北京就得關閉超過105個工廠，其中包括發電廠、家具工廠、建材製造廠，及化學製造廠等。另外要終止所有的建設計劃，並對車流量做更多的管制。
在天津市方面，如果預測空氣品質不佳的話，全部超過56處的燃煤發電廠、火力供熱廠、建材製造廠、發電廠及化學製造廠等都可能要停止生產；車輛也必須依車牌號碼的奇偶數，輪流受限，也就是每隔一日才能駕駛。
河北省境內的張家口、承德、石家莊、保定、廊坊、唐山等地，也將採行類似的方法。
一旦氣象局證實接連兩天的空氣品質達到官方標準，這項緊急計畫就會喊停。
無論緊急計畫實施與否，7月20日到9月20日在北京仍有短期的交通管制－車牌號碼奇數及偶數的車輛必須輪日駕駛。奧運會從8月8日舉行到8月24日，傷殘奧運則是從9月6日到9月17日。
With just eight days to go until the opening of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, pollution levels in the smoggy city dropped Wednesday to less than half of what they were the day before. This is the lowest reading since authorities began pulling cars off the road and shutting down factories to address concerns about air quality ahead of the Olympic Games.
A cooling wind and light rain helped sweep away pollutants and gave residents a break from the heat and humidity that has permeated city air for days.
The polluted skies over the Olympic host city have been one of the biggest worries for Olympics organizers.
The concerns prompted officials to relocate the Shougang Group, one of China's leading steel makers and the capital's major polluter, pull half of the city's 3.3 million vehicles off the roads, halt most construction projects, build more waste treatment facilities and utilize more geothermal energy resources.
Today, China's Ministry of Environmental Protection said even stricter measures may be imposed to reduce industrial and vehicle emissions in case of serious air pollution during the Olympics.
Beijing, the neighboring city of Tianjin and Hebei Province would expand their current curbs on cars and factories, if meteorological departments foresee "extreme unfavorable weather conditions" in the next two days.
Under these circumstances, Beijing would shut down 105 more electric, furniture, building material and chemical plants. It would halt all construction and pull more vehicles off the road, ministry officials said.
In Tianjin, 56 more coal-fueled power plants, coal-fired heating projects, building materials, electric and chemical factories would suspend production in case of poor air quality forecasts. Cars would be banned on alternate days according to their odd or even plate numbers.
Similar measures would be carried out in Hebei province cities of Zhangjiakou, Chengde, Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Langfang and Tangshan.
The emergency plan would be terminated if weather authorities confirm that air quality in the coming two days can meet official standards.
Regardless of possible emergency measures, a short-term traffic rule effective from July 20 through September 20 requires that vehicles with even and odd license plate numbers run on alternate days in Beijing. The Olympic Games run from August 8 through 24, while the Paralympics run from September 6 through 17.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
