Fact File 002 - A Greener Olympics?

So it’s time for another fact file and in case you haven’t realised the Olympics has been taking placing in Rio for the past week or so. Therefore this week’s fact file will be focusing on Brazil and how it is currently attempting to create the ‘greenest Olympics’ ever! Sadly however although they have made improvement in a lot of areas they have fallen short of many of the targets set by officials.

• Rio pollution levels have not been portrayed well in most media outlets across the world but if you haven’t heard the water in which a lot of the rowers, sailors and open water swimming have been competing in is extremely polluted. This is despite the fact that Rio officials claimed that 80% of the raw sewage  being released into Guanabara Bay would be treated in time for the games to start. However they haven’t even achieved close to this figure with only 48% being treated.

• Along with the raw sewage the bay is filled with rubbish and dead animals. This has resulted in greater than 1 billion viruses per litre of water within the bay. To put this into some context that’s more than 1.7 million times the level thought of as being hazardous in Europe and many other parts of the world.

• Another major issue is the destruction of certain environments to create Olympic venues. Brazil already has a massive problem with both legal and illegal logging but one venue which has been affecting other a different habitat is the Olympic golf course. It has been constructed on the edge of a delicate sandbank habitat which is home to over 238 registered species. Beach butterflies, White-sand-lizards and rare species of orchid and cactus are just a few  of the many endangered species this construction is applying pressure too.

• The carbon footprint for the spectators alone is estimated to exceed 1.380 ktonnes CO2eq, with the Game wide emissions expected to measure in at around 3600 ktonnes CO2eq.

• Finally to put a brighter light on the whole situation the 5,130 medals which will be awarded throughout the course of the Olympics were made from gold mined so called sustainable conditions with the gold medals being completely free of mercury and the silver medals are comprised of 30% recycled material. 

Thanks for reading!

Check out this video from devinsupertramp