2008 Beijing Olympics Context

• China's first Olympic Games hosted in 2008
  • 10,000+ athletes from 200 countries
  • 300 summer events
• Most watched televised event in history at the time
• Beijing's grand entrance to international stage
• $9 billion spent on public transit improvements
  • Doubled subway size
  • Buried ugly power lines underground
  • Planted flowers, constructed 20 new buildings
• Bird's Nest stadium opening ceremony
  • August 8th, 2008 at 8:08 PM (lucky number 8)
  • 4-hour event cost $100 million ($7,000 per second)
  • Weather manipulation: shot chemicals at sky with rocket launchers to clear rain
• Severe pollution problem during Olympics
  • City covered in thick grey smog
  • Air quality so bad athletes changed events or didn't compete

China's CO2 Emissions Perspective

• Per capita emissions comparable to Poland/Mongolia
  • Much lower than US, UAE, Qatar
• Total emissions: 25% of world's emissions
  • Population: 1.3 billion people
• World's largest car market
  • 322 million motor vehicles (equal to US population)
• Pollution severity: stops planes from landing, visibility so poor can't see fingers

Vehicle Registration Restrictions

• Beijing, Guangzhou, Guiyang use lottery system
  • Originally 1 in 783 chance of winning license plate
  • Beijing reduced quota from 90,000 to 40,000 annually
  • Current odds: 1 in 2,031
• Shanghai auctions license plates
  • Average price: $14,022 (nearly 2x China's per capita GDP)
  • More expensive than most cars themselves
• Corruption: government official arrested for accepting $30,000 bribes per plate

Driving Restrictions in Beijing

• Last digit of license plate determines driving days
  • Numbers 1&6: no Monday driving
  • Numbers 2&7: no Tuesday driving
  • Numbers 3&8: no Wednesday driving
  • Pattern continues, all allowed weekends
• Numbers rotate 4 times per year
• Violations: 3 points on license (12 points = suspension)

Air Quality Measurements

• Normal cities (LA, San Diego, southern China): 50-100 AQI
• Northern China: often 3-5x higher (150-500 AQI)
• Pollution kills estimated 1.6 million people annually in China
• Impacts tourism, visible in capital where politicians live

Electric Vehicle Revolution

• China buys more EVs than rest of world combined
• Millions entering middle class buying first cars
• No stigma against electric vehicles
• EV incentives:
  • Exempt from last-number driving restrictions
  • Separate license plate application line
  • Many don't require driver's license
• Low-speed EVs: 40 mph top speed, cost $4,000-5,000 (vs $20,000-30,000 for smart cars)
• Tesla factory approved outside Shanghai
• All Shenzhen buses converted to electric
• Charging infrastructure doubled in last year

Coal and Energy Transition

• China burns more coal than India
• Three types of coal plants:
  • Subcritical (low temperature, less efficient)
  • Supercritical (medium efficiency)
  • Ultra-supercritical (high temperature, most efficient)
• By 2020: all Chinese coal plants more efficient than US coal plants
• Limited natural gas reserves, moving directly to renewables
• Produces more renewable energy than any other country
• Renewable energy creates more jobs than fossil fuels
• Coal employs fewer Americans than Arby's fast food chain

Environmental Progress Results

• Beijing air pollution decreased 35%
• Could save 20 million residents 3 years of life expectancy
• 2018: overall car sales fell to 2-decade low
• Electric/hybrid cars continued growing despite economic slowdown
• US removing EV tax credits and environmental protections while China leads