Ducks sit near a lagoon in front of the National Stadium also called the 'Bird's Nest' at the Olympic Green in Beijing July 21, 2008. The International Olympic Committee recently praised Beijing for setting a "gold standard for the future" in its preparations for the Games, which begin in less than a month. China has transformed its capital for the August 8-24 Olympic Games, spending 140 billion yuan (US$20.34 billion) to combat chronic pollution and create a clean, green Beijing which it hopes will promote domestic stability and showcase a newly confident nation to the rest of the world.REUTERS/Claro Cortes IV (CHINA) (BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008 PREVIEW)