I am living in London so there is only one thing to write about, think about and talk about right now: The Olympics. I am fortunate enough to visit some of the events! (Luckily the tickets were not allocated on the basis of time dedicated to sports! In that case I would not even be allowed to watch the Opening Ceremony on television!). These Olympic Games are extra special as they are promoted as the most sustainable and green games ever! You can decide yourself whether they have achieved this target; I have found interesting sustainability facts that I will share with you over the next two weeks. And of course I will also share my photo's of the events that I attend whilst trying to spot evidence of all the green efforts.
Sustainability Facts Olympic Stadium:
- Part of the structure of the roof is formed from 2.500 tonnes of steel tubing recycled from old gas pipelines!
- The stadium includes over 30 % recycled content.
- The stadium is expected to need 60% lees potable water than comparable stadia.
- Unfortunately the London2012 organisation didn't manage to place the wind turbine to generate energy so the target of 20% of energy from renewable sources will not be reached.
- The stadium can now host 80.000 people but it has been build in a way that this can be reduced to 60.000 after the games. (discussion what actually will happen with the stadium is still ongoing)
And some non-sustainability facts in case you end up in the chair of the television program: Who wants to be a Millionaire:
- The Olympic stadium is the lightest Olympic stadium ever built.
- 5 jumbo jets could fit inside the International Broadcast Centre.
- 4 skeletons were discovered (and removed) from prehistoric settlement on the site of the Aquatics Centre.
Today I watched the Road Cycle, just around the corner from our house. I made these photo's just seconds before a dog crossed the road and almost turning the events in a "blood-red" instead of "green" event!
More info:
London 2012
Commission for a Sustainable London 2012
The Institution of Engineering and Technology