Brazilians have planted some 46,000 trees to neutralize all of the carbon emitted during Rio de Janeiro’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In fact, concern for the environment is one of the pillars of the Rio 2016 bid, and the saplings are part of the state government’s “Rio 2016 Zero Carbon” project. In all, Rio 2016 will offset 716 tons of carbon relative to the period September 2007 to October 2009.

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Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics is bold. It’s exciting. And, it’s green.

In fact, Chicago 2016 organizers even call their concept of the Olympics the “Blue-Green Games.”

Blue for clean air and water. And, green for parks and nature. Together, the blue and green combine to create the ideal conditions necessary for optimal athletic performance.

What’s more, Chicago 2016 organizers have developed a comprehensive plan that will deliver the most eco-friendly games in modern history.

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I am as surprised as the next guy. I didn’t think anybody could make Greenpeace content about anything. However, the environmental extremists have pronounced their blessings on Beijing for their 2008 Olympic Games preparations.

“We are glad to see that Beijing has improved its infrastructure in preparation for the Olympics,” says Greenpeace China’s Campaign director. It has made public transport more convenient, upgraded home heating systems, improved water treatment and, to some degree, reduced its reliance on fossil fuels.”

Greenpeace acknowledged Beijing’s

1. increased use of energy efficient technologies
2. use of renewable energy
3. use of geothermal heating systems
4. increased employment of wind and solar power
5. expanded public transportation system
6. cooperation with Coca-Cola and Samsung to meet specific environmental commitments.

“This is a huge leap from the polluting technologies currently used in the developing world. Beijing has shown that, when a concerted effort is made, change is possible,” Lo said.

Beijing missed out on

1. complying with internationally recognized timber procurement policies
2. use of zero-waste treatment

Can’t win them all. Greenpeace says the rest of China needs to learn from Beijing. Perhaps they would if the rest of the cities in China could take turn hosting the Olympics. All of Beijing’s advancements came with a price tag.

source

Beijing continues to pull out all the stops, stop signs?, to make the usual transportation mess more Olympic friendly, greener, too.  There’s a plan:

1. Some 500 vehicles used for shuttling between the Olympic village and venues will be powered by electricity, mixed fuel, or batteries. 780 tons of gasoline and diesel fuel will be saved. C02 will be reduced by 2,510 tons. An Olympic record?

2.  34 Olympic bus lanes will be opened up during the Games.

3. 126 ‘intelligent road sensors’ have been installed in special traffic lanes. When an Olympic bus pulls up the traffic lights will automatically change. Hang on to those puppies once the Games are over!

4. Some public transport vehicles will get the sensors, too.

5. Starting next week, Beijing will start an 0dd-even number traffic control system

6. An accident detection system is in place to speed up response time by 3-5 minutes.

In the end, the hope is that the Games run smoothly and Beijing can keep the air clean. That way neither traffic nor the athletes will be choked.

The Donald as they like to call Donald Trump wants to create a $2 billion playground golf course in Aberdeen, Scotland, home of golf. He got environmentalists and one very stubborn farmer, to stand in his way.

Trump wants to bring his New York style development plans to an environmentally sensitive stretch of coastline, a legally protected site of scientific interest and wants to develop the world’s greatest golf course. His argument is that “people won’t play a course if it is environmentally harmful. They don’t like it, they don’t feel good about it and they won’t play it”. Do I really have to bet my money on that lie?

Just for the record, the local farmer who refused to sell his land, rejected on a $690,000 offer. Is he holding out for more?

It’s a tough call to choose between the land of scientific interest that is home to some of the country’s rarest wildlife, including skylarks, kittiwakes or badgers and the two golf courses, 900 timeshare apartments, 450-bed hotel and 500 luxury homes. Right?

Yuichioro Miura, a 75-year-old young man from Japan managed to climb the world’s largest peak, Mount Everest. His health and the age did not deter him from taking on that adventure.

Image via Snow Dolphins

Since China wants to bring the Olympic torch on the Everest, no one was allowed to climb the mountain and Miura was delayed a few days. Determined and aware that he’s able to do it, he started climbing on May 20, from his 17,400 feet high base camp accompanied by his doctor. After three days and 10,000 feet higher, he reached the peak.

Though Yuichioro Miura was an adventurer and a great skier who knew what to expect while climbing the Everest, he still had to undergo a very rigorous training schedule. Despite the fact that he had heart condition since childhood, doctors agreed that he’s looking like a 40 year old and allowed him to accomplish his long wish of climbing the highest peak in the world.

However, Miura is unhappy that he’s not the oldest person ever to win the Everest because Nepalese, Min Bahadur Sherchan managed to do it one day earlier. Sherchan is going to be 77 years old soon.

Haile Gebrselassie a 34 years old Ethiopian runner, the guy that managed to break over 25 world records and won numerous Olympic and World Championship titles, has recently declined going to the Beijing Olympics because of air pollution.

The marathon champ who suffers from asthma told Reuters in a phone interview:

“The pollution in China is a threat to my health and it would be difficult for me to run 42 kilometers in my current condition.”

He will race on track though, probably in the 10,000 meter race.

Though Beijing has 17 million residents, 3 million cars and sandstorms from time to time the authorities said they’re are taking all the measures to ensure a cleaner air by the time the Summer Olympics start. I sure hope they get it done because I’d enjoy a good run.

via GreenDaily (photo by minuano12)