London 2012 Olympics Going Green

Going for Green London 2012 Olympics

When the design for the London 2012 Olympic Stadium was made public in 2007, it was clear that a new approach to stadia design was being attempted.  The London Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is in fact determined to make the London 2012 Olympics the first ever sustainable Olympic Games.  The ODA will be constructing sustainable venues, infrastructure, and facilities for the games focusing on energy- saving programs, recycling, and the utilization of alternative sources of energy.  In short, lot of efforts are being made to ensure that the London 2012 Olympics event is going green.

To ensure a green London 2012 Olympics, the different buildings and stadia are being constructed to satisfy specific targets.  For instance, everything is designed to promote low carbon emissions, low-waste, and green transportation.  The timber used for different constructions is from legal sources that are fully traceable and sustainable, use of public transport will be encouraged, and only renewable forms of energy will be used.  Rainwater is being collected to reduce the quantity of potable water that will be used in the different buildings by 40%.  But the CO2 reduction target is higher than this.

A range of new innovations will help to cut the carbon footprint of the entire project by 50 %.  The aggregate industry involved aims to use 25 % of recycled materials, while cement manufacturers plan to use ‘greener’ ways for firing their plants. Around 90 % of even demolition materials are going to be recycled.

The desire to use cutting edge design has hiked the required capital.  The initial estimate of the budget for the Games was around $3.5 billion.  This has now soared to $13.94 billion.  The desire to be innovative is commendable, but the question is if it will be completed on time.  In the past, London projects such as the Wembley Stadium refurbishment, and the Millennium Dome had gone over-budget and also over-schedule.

In a nutshell, here are the environment-friendly schemes the organizers have planned:

• At the Olympic village, carbon emissions will be cut down by 50% and the entire project will be 25% more energy-efficient  compared to current building regulations;
• 20% of the required energy for the Olympic Village and Park will be provided by renewable energy;
• 20% of the construction materials, and around 90% of the demolished buildings will be  recycled or reused;
• Water used at the Olympic village will be 20% less than average
• 30 km of new routes for walking and 50 km of new cycling tracks will be built.

The Olympics games are meant to be a grand celebration of sportsmanship and human achievement by the international community, but they also give the host nation an opportunity to display their vision and organizational skills.  This time, the organizers want the London 2012 Olympics to be the greenest in history.

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