In parched Beijing, claims of a ‘green’ Olympics may not hold water

Barren hillsides broken up by thin strips of white snow are a familiar sight for regular visitors to ski resorts near Beijing. The 2022 Winter Olympics host, which is under 150 miles from the rapidly expanding Gobi Desert, is famous for cold and dry winters.

Its population relies on water extracted from underground and fed in from wetter regions via a vast network of pipes and canals. In March, before spring rains, winds from the Mongolian Plateau often fill the city’s skies with orange dust.