Sustainable Olympics? Hog(green)wash
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics & Paralympics have been under intense scrutiny, not due to questionable medals or poor refereeing, but for sustainability. Great Britain has been a vocal force among other parties, stating that Vancouver did not do enough in terms of sustainability. They promise that their upcoming Summer Olympics will be the most sustainable games yet. Is all of this just a public relations stunt or was Vancouver actually trying to make an effort during difficult economic times?
According to the Vancouver Olympics Committee, sustainability was a key consideration in the design and planning of the Olympics. You can actually follow their efforts via the Sustainability Reports they have consistently published. As the first Games to formally include this as not only a concern, but translate it into tangible action, their efforts are notable. The organizers of the Games have a portion of the Vancouver 2010 site dedicated to sustainability, including a sustainability star program for companies and/or organizations, as well as videos and tips on how to be eco-friendly while at the Olympics. Do the medals look a little funny this year? They are actually made from electronic waste, not too shabby if you ask me.
The Sustainability Stars program focuses on three key areas:
- Economic Benefit
- Environmental Stewardship & Impact
- Social Inclusion & Responsibility
Organizations’ efforts must include at least 2 of the 3 focal areas, produce a measurable outcome, and relate to the 2010 Winter Games. The submittals were then judged by a jury of government partners, corporate sponsors, external experts, and VANOC representatives.
Coke, who is working to become carbon neutral, was one of the company’s highlighted. Their efforts included new coolers and vending machines that reduced emissions by 5,600 metric tons, compostable food containers, recycling centers, and team uniforms made from recycled plastic. Their goal is to divert 95% of all waste from landfills, an incredibly high and difficult goal to achieve at a large-scale event with varied levels of eco-awareness. Although you may not drink Coke or agree with their global supply chain, the reduced impact on the environment through these actions is measurable and exciting.
Perhaps my favorite eco-effort of the games is the Power Smart Village by BC Hydro. They have a human-powered dance floor and an expression wall that looks like spray paint, but is actually transmitted through infrared technology. They also host a Home of the Future series that highlights futuristic eco-inventions. As a power company, their most significant contribution has been the reduction in energy used and the increase in renewable energy sources. It is estimated that these games will emit 1/10th of the CO2 emissions from power generation than previous Winter Games. This will make it the lowest CO2 Games contributor in modern history.
With large-scale design and accountability efforts such as these, it’s difficult to criticize their efforts. The Olympics and Paralympics require an extensive built-environment and land manipulation to take place. This along with the influx in population make it difficult to create a No Impact Games. If we are able to take what we have learned from Vancouver’s efforts and multiply them in the Games to come, eco-smart design will become the center of the Olympics and it will hopefully spread to our athletic facilities worldwide.
The Olympics and Paralympics truly are natural homes for sustainability. The Games are about Countries coming together and competing for the honor of being a true Olympian. If we can take this competitive, yet team-oriented mindset and apply it to our innovation efforts imagine the future Games. The Vancouver Games are not an example of large-scale greenwashing, they are developing the foundation for long-term change toward eco-friendly games. Hopefully Great Britain rises well to the challenge they have set up for themselves. We can all look forward to a healthy competition for winning the “green Games” title into the future.
Comments
-
February 26th, 2010
Two thumbs up to your post! I agree to the sustainability issue of the Vancouver games.
Thanks Mark! I wish there was more news coverage on their efforts. But I was pleased to see the range of things that have happened. This is just a quick summary of their many efforts.
So is your article in defense of Vancouver? Do you think they did enough for sustainability?
Interesting question. The article’s intent was to be informative on the facts of the current Games’ sustainability efforts. There has been a significant amount of conflicting press on the issue, so the hope was to clarify and highlight some of the efforts.
Personally, I do not believe there is an “enough” point for sustainability, in particular for large-scale events. It would be quite impressive if the first Olympics with a dedicated focus on sustainability accomplished a high and integrated level of sustainability. The Vancouver Games were open about it being a learning experience. As I stated in the article, I think that it is these learning experiences that will guide us to effective sustainability efforts into the future.
Thanks for the question.
Great and informative post, Tiffany.
Thanks
As a Vancouver resident I have seen first-hand a lot of the sustainability efforts made by the Olympics organizers. While I’m sure a lot of it was all a PR move, there does seem to be a lot of good work going on. One of my favorite parts was the compost bin in the food court. Even the beer cups were compostable.
Fantastic post Tiffany. Very well written and very interesting to read.