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China's plans for the Beijing Olympic Games have faced many problems -- global protest, pollution issues and building delays. But none have been as weird, or as green, as this.
The sailing course in the waters around Qingdao, in the Shandong province -- the site of this year's sailing events -- has been transformed almost overnight into an enormous lake of green goo.
The blue-green algae blossomed on June 1, to the surprise of organizers and locals. It forms when nutrients, which can be caused by excessive pollution, build up in the water. (The area's massive economic boom in the last 30 years has left the waters severely polluted.)
Of course, being China, there is always an inexhaustible source of cheap labor to solve the crisis. Apparently, 400 boats and 3,000 people have been mobilized to clean up the algae, according to the local Xinhua News Agency.
However, the crisis does hint at larger problems: Only a quarter of the population has access to safe water, according to the AP, and some algae can produce toxins that in turn can cause death if ingested.
After the jump, see more pictures of the weird algae menace.
