BY CAI YI

A scene of the Xiaohuangzhuang community

There are still months to go before the 29th Olympiad arrives in Beijing, but a "green" notion inspired by the Games organizers' initiative of "Green Olympics" has already rooted in the Xiaohuangzhuang residential community.

  When the community in Dong-cheng District took form in 1998, Beijing was competing to host the Olympics, promising to stage a "green" Games to promote environmental protection awareness among its residents.

  As a move to support the city's Olympic bid, district and community officials and resident representatives decided after negotiations to build Xiaohuangzhuang into an environment-friendly community.

Green Education

But a "green" way of life was unfamiliar to most of its 11,000 residents 10 years ago, so the community management committee decided to brainwash the residents with a "green" education campaign.

  After a mobilization meeting that involved residents and representatives from businesses and organizations located in the community, the management committee handed out posters and letters to the 3,000-odd families, teaching residents what was a green way of life and what good they could get from it.

  In addition to showcase posters which told people how to be a green resident, the community's  evening school also offered regular lectures on environmental protection knowledge. Festival celebrations, such as Women's Day, Children's Day and National Day, also served as occasions to promote environmental awareness.

  In May 2000, more than 1,000 environmental protection volunteers from across Beijing gathered in Xiaohuangzhuang to join the "green" education campaign.

  At the function themed "to build a green community and support the Olympic bid," officials from municipal and district governmental departments joined hands with primary school and university students, encouraging people to choose a green way of life in their speeches.

  Medical volunteers explained to residents how harmful pollution was to a pregnant woman and the fetus. A picture show presented by the Global Village, a green organization, also aroused the interest of the community's residents.

  The community held similar functions twice a year.

  In a bid to help protect forest resources and reduce white pollution, the community in April 2001 launched a program calling on residents to share books, magazines and other printed publications, and give up using plastic shopping bags.

  The same year, Xiaohuangzhuang also organized three volunteer groups, composed of Communist Party members, Communist Youth League members and Young Pioneers. They used spare time to help take care of the community's trees and greenbelts. What they did set an example for other residents and many others joined them.

Residents enjoying the cool at a green-shaded corridor

Green Community

As the education campaign implanted a green notion to the residents, the community also began to make efforts to create a green environment.

  Coal, a major fuel for winter heating in Beijing, was blamed for the Olympic host's air pollution and foggy weather. Unexceptionally, the community's central heating system also relied on coal for fuel. In 2000, the community management committee made a lot of coordinating efforts to persuade related departments to invest more than 10 million yuan (1.43 million US dollars) to renovate 15 boilers. Now the gas-fueled boilers not only contribute to the improvement of air quality in Beijing, they also produce less noise, providing residents a quieter environment in winter.

  The community has 48,000 square meters of greenbelts, occupying 32 percent of its area, which are irrigated with water-saving facilities.

  To facilitate household garbage sorting, the community also spent 130,000 yuan in 2005 on equipment special for the treatment of kitchen waste.

  The environmental protection bureau of Dongcheng District also installed for free water-saving taps and water-saving facilities on flush toilets for each family. 

Green Legacy

The 10 years' efforts are rewarding, as while the community has been taking on a greener look, a green notion is also deep rooted and is growing among its residents.

  Zhang Wei is a third grader at the primary school in Xiaohuangzhuang. His school regularly organizes students to do voluntary work in the community, such as picking up plastic bags.

  "He is now our family's environ-mentalist. Each time we go outing, he would prepare bags for us to put waste. Whenever he sees garbage deserted by others, he would pick it up. I'm very glad at this," says Zhang Wei's father.

  Xiaohuangzhuang has also set up a joint council to oversee the community's environmental protection work. The council is composed of resident representatives, community management committee, property management companies and related governmental departments. They also make decisions on the community's key green projects.

  The community has received many prizes and honors for its green dedication over the past years. But it will never stop. The approaching Summer Olympics is fueling its green ambition to a higher aim.    

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The author works for www.chinahumanrights.org.