The Olympic Games are scheduled to get underway in Beijing in just three weeks time. And the question of the weather and environmental conditions in the Chinese capital is probably one of the biggest issues preoccupying people around the world right now.

Beijing, with a population of 17 million, is one of the world's most polluted cities. On days when there is smog people on the street take to wearing filter masks. A recent measurement taken near the Olympic Stadium showed that the concentration of dust particles in the air there was five times higher than the limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Many of the athletes who will be competing for medals in Beijing are uneasy about this. Those who will be taking part in endurance disciplines are particularly worried about health issues and reduced ability to realize their potential. Experts already feel certain that many track-and-field athletes will not be able to put in their best performances due to air pollution.

The hosts, on the other hand, continue to give their assurances that things aren't half as bad as they're being made out to be. The Chinese government promised the International Olympic Committee (IOC) it would organize "green games." Massive measures of a kind only possible in a totalitarian system (including plant closures and driving bans) are being taken to avoid the embarrassment of seeing cyclists or runners coughing and wheezing as they struggle to make it to the finish line.

The government spent the equivalent of €10.7 billion ($16.8 billion) over the past several years in an effort to keep its "green games" pledge. Factories were relocated, subway lines built, outdated boilers replaced. In addition, special plans have been made for when the games actually begin. The idea is to bring half of the city to a grinding halt.

On Sunday numerous construction sites and gas stations were shut down. Factories have had to close or reduce their emissions by a third. For the next two months a special driving ban will be in place in Beijing with cars only allowed to be driven every other day. Around 300,000 vehicles that do not meet current exhaust emission standards cannot be driven at all. No burning of grass or straw will be allowed on the fields around Beijing.

Environmentalists have praised these measures. White smoke billows out of the chimney of a coal-fired power plant in Beijing's Chaoyang District. "We've installed new scrubbers," Deputy Director Yu reports proudly. "We've been able to reduce our sulfur dioxide emissions to 20 milligrams per cubic meter. Just as the government requires."

But will measures like this be enough? "Go to the botanical gardens more often," was the advice I got not long ago from a senior Environment Ministry official who asked to remain anonymous. "Everywhere else the dust particle concentrations are so high that I'm not allowed to disclose them."