One in three national park sites has air pollution levels that exceed health standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Most of the air pollution now marring the parks’ scenic views, harming plants, and risking the health of wildlife and visitors, results from the burning of fossil fuels, especially by coal-fired power plants. Worse yet, more than 100 new coal-fired power plants are in various stages of planning and development across the country, putting national parks at risk.

10 national parks most threatened by new coal-fired power plants (in alphabetical order):

• Badlands (South Dakota)
• Capitol Reef (Utah)
• Great Basin (Nevada)
• Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee and
  North Carolina)
• Mammoth Cave (Kentucky)
• Mesa Verde (Colorado)
• Shenandoah (Virginia)
• Theodore Roosevelt (North Dakota)
• Wind Cave (South Dakota)
• Zion (Utah)

Related links:

• National Parks Conservation Association report “Dark Horizons”
• Green Right Now: Environmental groups sue over national park air quality

Most Olympic hosts encounter problems, some foreseen, some that seem to come from out of the blue. Beijing — already a controversial choice as host in light of human rights issues — seems to have had more than its share of challenges as it (sort of) opened its doors to the world.

Here are just some of the issues that have taken some of the bloom off the nation’s Olympic rose:

1. Murder: An American tourist, a relative of the U.S. volleyball coach, was murdered by a Chinese civilian in an apparently random act of violence.

2. Bad air: Despite efforts to clean things up by reducing traffic and shutting down factories, Beijing’s legendary haze has been an image beamed all across the planet.

3. Nature strikes back: Prior to the start of the Games, Beijing organizers endured bad publicity when a plague of millions of locusts descended on the city and a 154-square-mile algae bloom threatened sailing competition. Some scientists blamed the problems on the country’s rapid growth and the accompanying pollution.

4. Fake fireworks: A spectacular fireworks display during the Opening Ceremonies wasn’t quite what it seemed. The televised images were enhanced by computer generated graphics.