Faster, higher, stronger greener

Transcription

1 Faster, higher, stronger greener Sustainability at the 2012 London Olympics International events with a global audience are an ideal vehicle to promote sustainable development. In 1986 the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Juan Antonio Samaranch, declared that the environment was to be the third pillar of the Olympic movement (sport and culture being the other two). The idea of making the Olympic Games environmentally friendly began at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and Agenda 21 (see textbook pages , 206) became an important element for the IOC s development of a sustainable Olympics. In 1995 the Sport and Environment Commission of the IOC was created. Seven years after the original Agenda 21 was adopted, the IOC created its own version on June , in Seoul, Korea. The Olympic Movement adopted the Agenda in October 1999 at the World Conference on Sport and Environment held in Rio de Janeiro. The Programme of Action in the Agenda 21 adopted by the Olympic Movement called for, among other things, improved socio-economic conditions and the conservation and sustainable management of resources. The Agenda proposed how the Games can ensure sustainability through using renewable forms of energy (e.g. solar power), closing down roads in and out of venues to reduce pollution, and using the celebrity power of the sports men and women to educate the public about environmental issues. London 2012 Since its inception, the London 2012 Games has promoted itself as the world s first truly sustainable Games (a claim also made by the Sydney Games). London s vision for an environmentally friendly games had been a central part of its 2005 bid, with the IOC praising its strong emphasis on the integration of environmental considerations ensuring maximum sustainability. London pledged itself to an eco-agenda encompassing low-carbon sports venues, biodiversity within the Olympic Park, low food-miles through use of local food, and a self-sufficient athletes village. It is the aim of London 2012 to provide a blueprint for how to run sustainable sporting events in the future and in particular for Rio Venues Traditionally it is the venues themselves that create the largest carbon footprint. The 2012 Olympic Stadium is the lightest ever made, using one quarter of Beijing s equivalent (where the 2008 Games were staged). The 12,000-seat basketball arena will be deconstructed and used to help make other sporting venues, therefore representing the ultimate in recyclability. The Velodrome, where the cycling will take place, has an ultra-lightweight roof and rainwater collection that will reduce water consumption at The Olympic Park

2 the Games. In addition, its wooden track has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (verifying that it is from sustainable sources). In April 2011 the Commission for Sustainable London (CSL) reported that the Games were on track to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2013, by, for example, using lower-carbon cement and concrete. The Games also aim to recycle 90% of the demolition material by weight, and Friends of the Earth report they are on target to do this. Transport London 2012 also promoted itself as the public transport games where 100% of spectators will arrive at the Games either by using public transport, cycling, or walking. 75% of the Olympic visitors will come by train. To help with this, 10 million has been invested into new cycling and walking routes, and an incentive of free cycle repair and maintenance at some venues. A water taxi and a 60 million cable car link across the river Thames next to the Olympic park will transport 2,500 passengers an hour. In the construction of the site, two-thirds of materials were transported to the site by rail or river barge, limiting carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels to bring it in by road. Food The 2005 bid promised to support consumption of local, seasonal and organic produce, with reduced amount of animal protein and packaging. This is something that had been pioneered in the UK by the Eden project, in Cornwall, southwest England. Food packaging will be made from compostable material where it cannot be reused or recycled. Sponsorship The environmental ethos of the games has attracted sponsors to financially support the Games, despite the economic recession. This both promotes the sustainability agenda, as well as raising revenue for the Games. Legacy The area of London where the Games is taking place Stratford and the surrounding areas in London s East End, has traditionally been an area of low investment and urban decay. The regeneration of the area through plans for the Olympic Park have gone a long way to transforming the area from an industrial wasteland into an attractive site where people can work and live. The site, which will be renamed the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park following the Games, will have 35 new bridges, walkways, train stations, housing, and a 45 hectare wildlife habitat area, which will include 525 bird boxes, 150 bat boxes, and wildlife refuges for otters, amphibians, and other animals. There will be over 100 hectares of green open spaces left after the games, with 6.5km of restored river and canals. Improvements to this stretch of pathway will revitalize the environment for locals who use it regularly and also for visitors to the area.

3 Facts and Figures Nearly 2 million tonnes of contaminated soil have been cleaned to be reused on the Olympic Park. An estimated 6.5 million people will attend the Games and will generate over 3,300 tonnes of food package waste. Venues will use low-flush toilets, rainwater harvesting (such as in the Velodrome), and there will be a recycling plant that will treat sewage water so that it can be used for park irrigation. Overall, venues will use 40% less water because of these measures. The Olympic Stadium is projected to include 42% recycled content. All beef, pork and eggs at fast-food restaurants will be from the UK and Ireland which will reduce air-miles travelled. All chairs and tables from restaurants will be reused or recycled after use. 74,000 plants, 4,000 trees, 60,000 bulbs, and 300,000 wetland plants have been planted in the Olympic Park. 20% of the energy we use on the Olympic Park will be from renewable sources newts and hundreds of toads have been taken out of the Olympic Park during construction. 90% of materials from the demolition of buildings in the Olympic Park have been recovered so they can be reused or recycled. Read more about how people are working to make the 2012 Games sustainable here and here. Watch a video about the Green Games here. Read an article evaluating London 2012 s claims about sustainability here. The Olympic Park

4 Questions 1. The law requires that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is carried out before any major development project. An EIA estimates change to the environment that occurs as a result of a project, and helps to decide whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Information about the EIA is contained within the Environmental Statement for the games. a) Define Environmental Impact Assessment [2 marks] b) The EIA is structured so as to address the environmental effects arising from the Scheme during its four distinct phases, namely: Olympic and Paralympic Construction , Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012, Olympic Legacy Transformation , Olympic Legacy In describing the significance of environmental effects, a seven-point scale is used. Outline this seven-point scale (use this site to help you). [1 mark] c) Complete the table on the following page, which summarizes the findings of the Olympic park EIA. Use the criteria outlined in the Environmental Statement (the seven-point scale), which are used to judge whether a project should go ahead or not. [7 marks] Discuss within your class the outcomes of the EIA. Were any of the findings surprising? 2. In May 2009, The Olympic Board stated that London 2012 will have a clear policy for alleviating the impacts of manufacture, supply, use and disposal of material for the 2012 Olympic Games. The design of the Olympic Park will ensure that the environmental impact is minimized. How will these aims be achieved? Produce a poster summarizing the ways that sustainability will be attained at the 2012 Olympics. Use the following sites to help you: Atkins Global Sustainability Atkins Global Case studies A list of all the animals and plants found on the Olympic Park site can be found here. Your poster should contain as much material from the ESS syllabus as possible (e.g. recycling, energy sources, water resources, EIA, sustainable use of resources, etc.), be creative and well presented. [10 marks]

5 Assessment period Topic Traffic and transport Highways Public transport Walking and cycling Energy Energy infrastructure Energy demand Carbon emissions Soil conditions, groundwater, contamination Water Water quality Aquatic ecology Hydrology Flood risk Terrestrial ecology and nature conservation Air quality Electromagnetic effects Interference Radiation

6 Answers 1. A (detailed) study/investigation/survey required before a major development, to examine environmental impact; suggest appropriate monitoring; should include a baseline survey/study Do not accept reference to a document without reference to a survey or study. [2 max] a) Major adverse; moderate adverse; minor adverse; neutral; minor beneficial; moderate beneficial; major beneficial. [1 mark] b) 1 mark for each correct row. [7 marks] Assessment period Topic Moderate adverse /minor Minor/moderate /minor Minor/moderate beneficial adverse adverse beneficial /minor /minor Minor/moderate beneficial beneficial adverse Major beneficial Traffic and transport Highways Public transport Walking and cycling Energy Energy infrastructure Energy demand Carbon emissions Soil conditions, groundwater, contamination Water Water quality Aquatic ecology Hydrology Flood risk Terrestrial ecology and nature conservation Major beneficial Moderate adverse Air quality Electromagnetic effects Interference Radiation 2. Mark the quality of the posters within your class. Marks should be awarded for: covering as much of the syllabus as possible (5 points) creativity and flair (3 points) quality of the presentation (2 points). [10 max] Total: [20 marks]