Beijing's Olympic clean up

The race is on to clean up the air athletes will breathe at this year's Beijing Olympics.

Authorities plan to close temporarily a number of big local factories for two months.

The period coincides with the Games as well as the Paralympics.

Heavy polluters are also being forced to reduce emissions by 30 percent.

Du Shaozhong is from Beijing's environmental protection agency.

(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) BEIJING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SPOKESPERSON, DU SHAOZHONG SAYING

"I should say that all of these measures put together, when compared with the measures adopted by all the other Olympic cities, are very great. Because of this I think, through our hard work, we will provide good air quality for the Olympics. There should be no doubt, everybody should have faith."

In recent weeks the build up to the Olympics has been overshadowed by human rights issues in Tibet.

It's taken some of the media spotlight away from Beijing's environmental problems.

That's likely to change as the Games draw (nearer)(closer).

But officials say Beijing is already moving in the right direction.

(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) BEIJING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SPOKESPERSON, DU SHAOZHONG SAYING:

"If you look at the air now, every day there are a lot of people doing sports and sporting activities, and our health is not affected"

The air quality will also heavily hinge on weather conditions during the actual Games.

But authorities say athletes have (to) nothing to fear.

They insist contigency measures will be in place for all eventualities.

Darcy Lambton, Reuters.

build up

1. To develop or increase in stages or by degrees: built up the business; building up my endurance for the marathon.

2. To accumulate or collect: sediment building up on the ocean floor.

3. To bolster: build up the product with a massive ad campaign; built up my hopes after the interview.

4. To fill up (an area) with buildings.
hinge n.

1.

a. A jointed or flexible device that allows the turning or pivoting of a part, such as a door or lid, on a stationary frame.

b. A similar structure or part, such as one that enables the valves of a bivalve mollusk to open and close.

2. A small folded paper rectangle gummed on one side, used especially to fasten stamps in an album.

3. A point or circumstance on which subsequent events depend.

v. hinged, hing·ing, hing·es

v.tr.

1. To attach by or equip with or as if with hinges or a hinge.

2. To consider or make (something) dependent on something else; predicate: "convenient and misleading fictions for hinging an argument" Stephen Jay Gould.

v.intr.

To be contingent on a single factor; depend: This plan hinges on her approval.