Sandstorm reappears in China

From the beginning of the year until now, 8 sandstorms have swept through Beijing - China capital, making the sky obscure, the whole city covered with a light brown dust curtain. Experts predict that winds carrying sand dust may continue to rage until Beijing hosts the 2008 Olympic Games.

A sandstorm in Beijing in 2006 (Photo: AP) A US environmental expert recently suggested the cause and solution for this situation. That China needs to limit the over-exploitation of natural grass to livestock production, which is the cause of increasingly intense sand storms.

At a recent press conference in Beijing, American environmentalist Lester Brown announced that: sandstorms raging in western China and Inner Mongolia desert will continue unless the quantity Cattle grazing in these areas is limited, enabling the grass to grow again.

Beijing officials have proposed a plan called "Blue Sky", to ensure a 2008 Olympics green, clean and beautiful. However, this plan is currently threatened by sandstorms. The number of days with blue skies during April this year was less than 12 days, lower than the average allowed.