Photo: World Bank Photo Collection (flickr)

Today China announced several plans to help fulfill its promise to make the Beijing Olympics a "green" event. Plans include halting construction projects, banning the use of 3.3 million vehicles, shutting down inefficient coal boilers, and cutting emissions from the heaviest polluting industries in the months leading up to the Games.

Although a well-intentioned effort, many are concerned this won't make a difference a mere four months before the Games. With China's levels of ozone and particulate matter five times higher than World Health Organization safety standards, some athletes are worried about permanently damaging their respiratory systems. The world recordholder in the marathon, Haile Gebrselassie, announced he won't run this year out of concern for his health.

The Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, however, is not concerned. It counted 67 “blue sky days” in Beijing from January through March — the highest count in nearly a decade. China isn't clear on what this means, but as Tim Johnson, the Beijing bureau chief for McClatchey Newspapers, says “When Chinese officials talk about 'blue sky' days, they don’t mean days when the sky is really blue. They mean days when sunshine can penetrate the haze and create a shadow. The sky is still an icky gray."

China may be making a considerable effort to improve air quality during the Summer Games, but their efforts might be better spent on longer-term solutions. Many former Olympic cities used the Games as an opportunity to fix longstanding problems. But in China's case, it looks as if those 3.3 million cars will go right back on the roads.