London 2012
Sustainability and the south east: will the Games be green?
This lesson focuses on whether the Games can be sustainable in terms of environmental impact and in terms of delivering a long lasting legacy benefit at a variety of scales.
The Olympic Delivery Authority says it is committed to creating venues, facilities and infrastructure that leave a lasting social, economic and environmental legacy for London and the UK. The main sustainability ‘gains’ will be the positive redevelopment of the site, bringing a large quantity of quality public green space into use in east London and the revitalisation of the waterways. After the Games have gone, sustainable communities that prioritise walking, cycling and use of public transport will be one way of addressing the challenge of climate change.
Key question:
- How sustainable can the Olympics be?
Key Concepts:
Environmental interaction and sustainable development
Scale
How sustainable can the Olympics be?
The Olympic Delivery Authority says it is committed to creating venues, facilities and infrastructure that leave a lasting social, economic and environmental legacy for London and the UK. The main sustainability ‘gains’ will be the positive redevelopment of the site, bringing a large quantity of quality public green space into use in east London and the revitalisation of the waterways. After the Games have gone, sustainable communities that prioritise walking, cycling and use of public transport will be one way of addressing the challenge of climate change.
The ‘Greenest Games’ promise to:
- Reclaim contaminated land and Brownfield sites
- Create an urban park to rival that created for the Sydney 2000 Olympics
- Conserve biodiversity, produce zero waste, minimise carbon emissions and promote environmental awareness (‘One Planet Olympics’)
Click on an activity:
Starter
Main activity 1
Plenary
Interactive:
Can you make a sustainable games?
Downloads:
How green can a Games be?
Links:
Link to video showing progress towards completion of the Olympic site - http://www.webcast.ukcouncil.net/hosted/london2012/
For more information about Newham try this website:
http://www.go-london.gov.uk/boroughinfo/borough.aspx?bid=25
For more information about a green Olympic Park see:
http://getset.london2012.com/en/the-games/about-london-2012/
the-olympic-park/a-green-olympic-park