As with events like this, each successive one wants to be bigger and better in as many ways as possible. Paris' Olympics this year is no different:
As mentioned in the video above, one of the ways Paris' Olympics plan to lead are through its green initiatives. Interesting Engineering's Sujita Sinha's 7-15-2024 post and Forbes' Claire Poole's 7-19-2024 article detail some pretty cool eco-initiatives in place here for this summer's olympics:
- When planning the events, emphasis was put on minimal new construction while also improving existing ones to house the events. Examples include adding a retractable roof to the Georges Vallerey pool and restoration of the Grand Palais.
- When new buildings were built (such as the new aquatics center), sustainable elements were put into place including specialty roof design and solar energy farms. Likewise, seats constructed of recycled plastic were installed where needed. (11,000 to be exact!) Additionally, these structures were purposely built for reuse.
- The Olympic Village incorporated seashell pavements and air purifiers near the roads.Additionally, the Village is outfitted with furniture specifically created from reused or recycled materials such as badminton shuttlecock-created tables and bottle cap-created chairs, parachute fiber covered bean bags, and couches constructed from metal sidewalk barriers at their base.
- After the games, furnishings in the Olympic Village are planned to reused, donated, or repurposed, giving thousands of items second life rather than have them be a part of the throw-away mentality.
- Using famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Seine River, and the Palace of Versailles as backdrop settings for a number of sporting events.
- The opening ceremony will be help in the streets of Paris as well as on a Seine River in a flotilla-stryle boat parade.
- Environmental strides to improve the urban infrastructure include "250 miles of new bike lanes, an extended Métro network, a cleaner Seine, and 300,000 new trees planted."
- Food options for the athletes have emphasis on plant-based menu items as well as being locally sourced.
- The event-winning medals have an emphasis on reuse with each of them containing "18 grams of original iron from the Eiffel Tower inserted, placed at the heart of the medals, to highlight circular economy messaging. The metal was removed and preserved during previous renovation campaigns."
- In an effort to protect seagrasses near Calanques National Park in Marseille where some of the sailing competitions are planned to occur, organizers are preparing to use drone-like buoys. In doing so, this is more protective to the carbon-soaking grasses because there will be less disruption to them due to not being dredged by anchors.
To do a deep dive on the 2024 Paris Olympic's commitment to sustainability and see their nods to the 2015 Paris Agreement (with goal date of 2030), check out their website and their multitude of reference points, remarks, and reports. Then also watch this video from Interesting Engineering to see how their plan for fewer building projects for these games is both a sustainable AND money-saving move.
Videos from https://youtu.be/IMLMJVX4NsU?si=9Mxpz3x42iSjeMJJ and https://youtu.be/WBiPdEcyAlM?si=Voaq7QhXzKhys-Dk, Logo from https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2019-10-24/paris-olympics-2024-logo and https://olympics.com/ioc/sustainability
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