Coastal City Qingdao Draws Plan for Green OlympicsThe Chinese coastal city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong province has drawn up a plan to upgrade its environment for the 2008 Olympic Games, during which the sailing events will be held there.Vice-mayor Liu Jianhua said the city has decided to amend its original environmental protection plan so that its environmental and biological standards will be comparable to an advanced international level and satisfy the need for a first-class Games by 2007. Priority will be given to the protection of the marine and land environment at Fushan Gulf, the venue for the competition, and the coastal area and athlete village, Liu said. It will take a comprehensive approach to improve the living conditions of its citizens to attain a concerted development of the economy and environment. The city will raise its pollution control standards for factories and businesses and promote clean manufacturing technologies. It will also advocate green consumption, ban the use of super- thin plastic bags, disposable dishes and chopsticks, and encourage the use of environmentally-friendly products and the recycling of waste materials. To ensure the attainment of these goals, the city will take a tougher stance in environmental law enforcement and set up an advanced environmental monitoring and management system, said the vice-mayor. |
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