Vancouver 2010 Olympics: Top 10 Green Projects

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics will be taking place February 12 to February 28, 2010, in British Columbia, Canada. Most countries hosting the Olympics start planning many years in advance. Planning nowadays, to be politically correct, must include environmentally friendly projects, or "green initiatives". The projects may cost more up front, but they are better for the environment in the long run.

Some of the projects are still in the works and are slated for completion before the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. This article will take a look at some of the bigger "green" or sustainable projects that will be incorporated in time for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Here are 10 Green Initiatives that have received attention recently.

Transportation - Vancouver 2010 Olympics

Vancouver SkyTrain has opened more lines which will result in less traffic congestion.

Canada Line rapid transit service is being constructed and is due for completion by November 2009. It will connect the Vancouver International Airport to downtown Vancouver and Richmond. The transit time from the Airport to downtown Vancouver will take 24 minutes. www.canadaline.com

The taxi fleet in Vancouver was to have been "green" in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics with more hybrid and energy-efficient vehicles. The scorecard is still out on this project.

Olympic Village - Vancouver 2010 Olympics

The nine-block Olympic Village, where up to 10,000 of the athletes will stay during the Olympics, is being constructed with many green initiatives. The condo project called Millennium Water, consists of 200 units. The condo units are priced from $450,000 to $3.5 million and the developer promises to tell the owners which athletes stayed in their condo. The U.S. Green Building Council is expected to give the Olympic Village a LEED Gold certification for its green initiatives.

Green Roofs - half of the buildings will have green roofs, which means they will have plants growing on them. The use of these type roofs cuts down on the amount of energy needed to heat or cool a building, by providing insulation.

Rain Harvesting Roofs - while half of the Olympic Village roofs will have green roofs, the other half of the buildings will have traditional flat roofs. These will be used to collect rain. The rainwater will be stored in huge, underground cisterns for use throughout the buildings.

Dual flush toilets will use the stored rainwater. Using the stored rainwater to flush the toilets means that potable water consumption for the buildings will be reduced by 40% - 50%.

The Olympic Village will also have a site-wide compost pickup and a sanitary sewer-heat recovery system that will help in heating the buildings.

Whistler Resort - Vancouver 2010 Olympics

The main mountain for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics skiing action is Whistler Resort. The resort has a history of using alternative energy sources, conservation, and waste reduction. They claim to have reduced electrical consumption by more than 18% and reducing waste by more than 540 tons per year.

Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre

Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre expansion was built with a green roof and a seawater heating and cooling system. They apparently also have a "Happy Earth" menu which features local and organic ingredients.

Sources:
www.vcec.ca
http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2007/02/green-ski-resorts.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070515.NATS15-3/TPStory/Environment
Maclean's Magazine: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0013176