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| By Adrian
Larose Producer: Chris Mejaski |
Every city that bids to host the Olympics "has some storyline about how unique they are," says Elvin Wyly, an associate professor with the University of British Columbia's geography department. He is involved with the Impact on Community Coalition, an independent group that tries to get the public involved in planning the Games. Vancouver's main storyline, he says, was sustainability. Yet some 2010 environmental sustainability plans are already falling short. Critics also say the massive construction required to mount an Olympic-sized event can never be environmentally friendly. Highway hits the brakes One plan that has run into problems is the "Hydrogen Highway." Originally billed as a chance to showcase hydrogen fuel-cell technology, the plan was to have fuel-cell vehicles provide public transportation to Games sites. Canada's Ballard Power Systems and several government organizations were involved. As time has passed, that plan has run up against reality, says David Chernushenko, deputy leader of the federal Green Party who advised the Vancouver Olympic committee back in the bid stage. "The supply of hydrogen and the cars that would run it are not yet available," he says.
Representatives of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) were unavailable for comment. The Sea-to-Sky Highway, the main road between Vancouver and Whistler, could also give Games organizers environmental headaches. Protestors have questioned Games-related highway expansion plans that eat away at rare ecosystems. Also, mudslides make sections of the route quite dangerous. One blocked the route for hours in early February. Setting up water ferries to bypass dangerous sections and connecting the ferries to public transit could help, Chernushenko says. However, that would likely require environmental assessments to consider potential problems, which means the ferry plan's future is uncertain. "That's still up in the air," Chernushenko says. Constructing a greener Games The venues where Olympians will skate, ski, curl is one area where the organizing committee hopes to help the environment. It plans to construct all the new buildings, such as the curling centre, with energy-efficient materials and systems that meet the LEED Silver sustainability standard. It's a notable effort, but almost common sense for large buildings these days. "LEED Silver almost gets a shrug," says Chernushenko. "Who wouldn't build to that standard, with today's energy prices?" All the new construction for the Olympics also consumes large amounts of both resources and land. That means trying to have a green Olympics is a question of "developing these rather grandiose schemes and doing it in a relatively intelligent, forward-thinking fashion," says Brad Kasselman, president of the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment.
The committee is definitely choosing green options, he says. "They’re very good at trying to do the right thing, and they deserve a lot of credit for that." Yet why does Whistler need a bobsled and luge run, Kasselman asks? Calgary’s, built for the 1988 Olympics, is a short plane ride away. After the Olympics, the Whistler track will be an unnecessary extra, he says. "Until they really get serious about…reexamining the business model," he says, any green Olympic plans are "not going to mean all that much." Having a lasting impact Chernushenko says the committee has been trying to create a lasting legacy for the region, one that goes beyond large sports facilities. One example is the Vancouver athletes' village, to be built on downtown industrial land cleaned up for the Games. Post-Games, about one fifth of the homes will be sold as subsidized housing – down from a planned one-third due to reduced government funding, says Wyly, the British Columbia geography professor.
There has not been enough consultation on Olympic legacies, Wyly says. "There’s not a broad-based, public discussion of what does this particular event mean." Dr. Rob VanWynsberghe, an assistant professor in the university's School of Human Kinetics and Department of Educational Studies, heads the Coalition that includes Wyly. The organizing committee is not doing all it can to turn its sustainable plans into reality, VanWynsberghe says. "I don’t think they’re pushing themselves," he says. "We’ve got to push them." "You cannot wait until the weekend before," he says. "The
legacies have to be hammered out now." |
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Canada
2010 
