World - Green becomes color of games

BEIJING: Two wells as deep as 2,000 metres would provide heat for a 7,500-seat gymnasium in winter, the competing venue for the badminton tournament of Beijing Olympic Games, and another 12 wells are used for the cooling system in summer.
The Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium will realise zero emission in the use of geothermal energy, and energy consumption would be reduced by 30 per cent, said university vice-president Zhang Ailin.
It is one of the venues featuring “Green Olympics.” Advanced technologies, including water recycling, rainwater utilisation, solar photovoltaic power generation and reclaimed water source heat pumps are widely used, said Tan Xuxiang, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Planning Commission. The University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) Gymnasium, the competing venue for judo and taekwondo, boasts of the world’s largest suspended dome ceiling measuring 93 metres in diameter.
The highlight lies in the installation of 148 optical fibre light pipes that are 530 mm in diameter. On days with strong sunlight, the pipes will be able to meet the lighting needs for sports training. At night, the pipes will transmit light through the roof, creating an attractive nightscape.
The National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest for its unique latticework of interwoven steel, is considered a template for water conservation, with 70 per cent of its supplies coming from recycled water.
The National Aquatics Centre, or the Water Cube, also features energy conservation.
It is able to collect millions of litres of rain, bathwater and waste water from swimming pools annually to wash the ground, flush toilets, supplement the water supply for the cooling tower and water plants around the venue.
Its blue bubbling translucent exterior, also a part of the Water Cube’s environmental design, is said to allow in more sunlight to heat the swimming pool and save thermal loss.
After seven years of preparation, Beijing is confident of honouring its Green Olympic commitment with the support of Chinese people and the international community, Liu Qi, head of the BOCOG, said earlier this week.
He added the city had put an emphasis on controlling air pollution and promoting landscape greening.Daunting challenge
The organisers still face a daunting challenge — the weather. A whole week of hot and humid weather with no rainfall and a persistent haze dampened people’s mood and undermined a newly-built confidence in the city’s air quality.
IOC’s Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli said the low visibility did not necessarily mean the air quality is bad.
“Most of the people see the fog, they say it’s pollution. But we know here it’s not pollution. It’s mist, a fact of the nature,” said Mr. Felli.
China has intensified its efforts to raise “green consciousness” before the Olympic Games. At a recent energy-saving work meeting, Vice-Premier Li Keqiang said it was necessary to further raise environmental protection consciousness and step up efforts to build an energy-saving and environment-friendly society. He urged the capital city to do more to save oil and energy to provide a cleaner environment and fresh air for citizens and visitors.
Since June 1, retailers have been banned from providing free plastic shopping bags, as the nation tries to reduce energy consumption and polluting emissions by using less plastic bags.
In Beijing, residents were urged to buy energy-saving bulbs at a 90 per cent discount.
In Hefei, more than 10,000 people showed up to sign their names on a banner in support of the energy-saving efforts. In Shanghai, lectures, demonstrations and consulting services were staged in residential areas. — Xinhua