| Though of course the Olympics games are a | | | | people of the UK, we would need thee planets' |
| celebration of sportsmanship, human achievement | | | | worth of natural resources to support us. |
| and international community, they also represent an | | | | The 2012 sustainable policy sets out to light its green |
| opportunity to show off the organisational skills and | | | | beacon in a number of ways; from the ground up, |
| vision of the host nation. London's Olympic | | | | efforts are being made to minimise greenhouse gas |
| committee have recently revealed their plans to | | | | emissions and also create facilities that are able to |
| make London 2012 the first sustainable games, which | | | | cope with the impacts of climate change. There will |
| they hope will set new standards for all future | | | | also be a commitment to minimising construction |
| Olympics events. | | | | waste, and planners have announced that no waste |
| 2012 will therefore provide a platform for the | | | | produced during the Games will go to landfill; instead |
| organisers to demonstrate excellence in the way that | | | | there will be on-site recycling and re-use of waste. |
| the Games are planned and staged, and also the | | | | The Games also have a strong biodiversity policy |
| Olympic legacy that they will create, which has the | | | | involving the creation of new habitats on and around |
| power to inspire changes in behaviour across the | | | | Olympic buildings, and policies stating that impact on |
| world. | | | | the Lower Leah Valley and other Games venues will |
| In light of the ever growing concerns of human | | | | be minimised. |
| impact on our fragile planet, London has put | | | | The other big advantage that organisers are pushing |
| sustainability at the heart of its Olympic plans. | | | | is economic development; the Olympics will have a |
| Throughout the entire biding process, the London | | | | massive positive effect on the Lea Valley area, |
| committee pushed its concept of a "One Planet | | | | boosting regeneration in the East End, as well as |
| Olympics" - an idea derived from the WWF | | | | providing massive income for hotels in London and |
| Bioregional mandate of "One Planet Living". | | | | the UK tourist industry as a whole. |
| As the Olympics are the highest profile event in the | | | | Whether the 2012 Games will turn out to be as |
| world, the Games will give London the perfect | | | | green as the Olympics committee propose is yet to |
| chance to demonstrate how we can change the way | | | | be seen, but if they can pull off their ambitious |
| in which we build, work and travel to fit within the | | | | environmentally friendly plans, the impact is likely to |
| resources available. Indeed, if the entire world | | | | have a huge positive influence not just on future |
| population were to live the same lifestyle as the | | | | games, but on the Western world in general. |