“One Planet Olympics” – London plans the most sustainable Olympic Games ever

[purpletigron]

Excerpts of statement from DEFRA: "Building on the ecological and sustainable ideals developed in Sydney and Athens, London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games was a bid for the most sustainable Games ever. ... London proposes:

• a low carbon Games – to reduce the demand for energy and meet it from zero/low carbon and renewable sources; ...
• a low waste Games - to avoid landfill by reducing waste at source, then reusing, recycling and recovering all remaining waste
• a biodiverse Games - conserving natural habitats and wildlife, improving the quality of urban green space ...
• a showcase for sustainable transport – reducing the need for travel and providing sustainable alternatives to the private car
• a sustainable legacy from the Games ..."

Thanks to thekumquat for the link. More updates after (Fairtrade Organic?) tea has been brewed in London.

Comments

[treacletwit.livejournal.com]

I've only met her the once - seems a decent sort :)

Mind you I do have approximately 4 inches of forms to fill in from DEFFRA, so maybe the low carbon approach is yet to filter through all departments.

<Goes off for Fairtrade Organic coffee)

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

So at least you know both of us IRL, so we're not axe-wielders, right? :-)

Do I correctly divine the meaning of the extra 'F' in DeFfra? :-))

Could you perhaps supply a one-side executive summary of the form-wodge as a covering letter, "This is the low-carbon response to your questions"?

Wish me luck - my knees and my GI tract are going to essay aikido again tonight...

[thekumquat.livejournal.com]

Who, me?

Much as I'd like to return the compliment, I have no idea who you are. Although any friend of ruis is likely OK in my book.

Couldn't possibly comment on the forms...

[treacletwit.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't remember :)

Was at Leicester Bicon, unremarkably enough ruis did the introductions.

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

Well, it certainly sounds good. Is it bad that I see the words "sustainable" and "Olympics" and feel a bit cynical? Fingers crossed, though.

And your icon is f*@#ing hilarious.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

I share your worries... and hopes.

Isn't the icon good? I should have remembered that you would particularly appreciate it :-)

[mylescorcoran]

Love the icon.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

I stole it, of course :-)

[the-gardener.livejournal.com]

Sustainable, my arse. As one of my work colleagues put it: we will now have seven years of traffic disruption due to construction work, followed by two weeks in which the place will be overrun with more tourists than usual, followed by decades of crumbling, empty stadia covered with graffit and ivy.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

A nice expression of some of my fears. I'd love for you and thekumquat to talk this over...

[thekumquat.livejournal.com]

Traffic disruption - well given that most of the area is currently derelict or already has construction traffic going to it for the Eurostar terminal, it's not going to make that much difference there.

Two weeks of more tourists than usual - well yes, that's rather the point. Although I've read that it's not going to be many more than usual, and as the excess will be in an area where they normally wouldn't be, it'll be business as usual in the rest of town.

Valid worries about to what extent the builders end up being all environmentally friendly and going round things they're supposed to, but the strongest part of the bid was apparently the legacy - it will not be another Athens. The buildings have post-Olympic uses planned already.

And yes, my work canteen does sell only Fairtrade organic tea, coffee, and chocolate. :)

[the-gardener.livejournal.com]

The buildings have post-Olympic uses planned already.

But no plan ever survives contact with the enemy, as some general or other once said, and I wouldn't be remotely surprised if some or all of the planned uses are not eventually realised.