Since China won the bid for the 2008 Olympic Games in 2001, Beijing has worked to embody a "Green Olympics" concept in every step of its preparation work.

Let's hear more from our reporter Liu Min.

Reporter:

Conserving natural resources was the primary concern as Beijing designed and built its Olympic venues.

Olympic Forest Park is the biggest water consumer among the venues. Its chief architect, Hu Jie, explains how he realized the "Green Olympics" concept in his design.

"Beijing is a severely water-strapped city. Olympic Forest Park is the first large-scale city park to use reclaimed water and a circulation system. It embodies the "Green Olympics" very well."

Many other Olympic sights are also using reclaimed water. In the past seven years, Beijing has built ten reclaimed water facilities, which reclaimed 480 million steres of water last year.

About one-quarter of energy consumed by Olympic venues is green energy such as solar, wind and geothermal energy. Beijing Olympic venues have the most powerful solar battery in the world. The battery produced 580 thousand kilowatt-hours of electricity last year, reducing 570 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Beijing is also making major efforts to improve the city's air quality. Part of China's leading steel manufacturer, Shougang, has been moved out of Beijing because of its pollution.

Mu Huaiming is the director of Shougang's Environmental Protection Section.

"This year, through reducing steel production and strictly carrying out environmental protection rules, pollution caused by Shougang was reduced 50 percent compared to 2007."

Automobile exhaust is another major cause of air pollution, so Beijing is adhering to strict auto emissions standards and heavy traffic control during the Olympics.

The "Green Olympics" concept is now largely accepted and appreciated by Beijing citizens.

17-year-old Beijing student Ye Lu has worked to protect the environment since the age of 10. In praise of her efforts, the "environmental girl" has been selected to serve as a torch bearer for the Athens and Beijing Olympics.

Ye Lu thinks environmental protection boils down to a social awareness problem.

"Green Olympics is not only about problems with battery recycling, waste classification or water conservation. Everyone should have the sense to protect the environment at any time, anywhere."

Many Beijing citizens are now getting involved. They have planted trees in Beijing for the "Green Olympics," and thanks to their efforts, in 2007, 51 percent Beijing's land area was covered by plants.

Liu Min, CRI News.