If Chinese scientists get their way, Beijing could host the first
“wind-powered” Olympics. Wind-power engineer Shi Pengfei of the State Power
Corporation says that the city would bolster its bid to host the 2008 Olympics
by promising to power stadiums with wind power generated on the steppes of Inner
Mongolia. “Sydney used solar power. We could use wind,” he says.
Beijing currently relies on coal for most of its energy, creating dense smogs
that could impair the performance of athletes. “The Olympics are an opportunity
to kick-start wind power right across China,” Shi says.
