Avatar Director James Cameron Talks Greening Hollywood On Global Green USA's 2010 Pre-Oscar Bash Green Carpet

 

Avatar Director James Cameron Talks Greening Hollywood On Global Green USA's 2010 Pre-Oscar Bash Green Carpet from Greening Hollywood on Vimeo.

Celebrities came out in force to discuss Greener Cities For A Cooler Planet at this year's Global Green Pre-Oscar Bash. Greening Hollywood was there to capture the moments and document Avatar Director James Cameron'swords about the importance of making films with an environmental theme and also Leonardo DiCaprio's, Jessica Alba's and others' support of Global Green USA, Greening Hollywood and Greening The Globe. Stay tuned for the Academy Awards on Sunday March 7th, 2010. Suzy Amis Cameron will wear her Eco-chic gown on the Oscar Red Carpet.

Green Blog Network * Greening Hollywood 

* The Green Blog Network * Greening Hollywood *

Avatar Director James Cameron Talks Greening Hollywood On Global Green USA's 2010 Pre-Oscar Bash Green Carpet

Olympic Echoes

Echoes of the 2010 Winter Olympics are all around. A mere 48 hours after Canada won the definitive hockey game in overtime, and the streets are filled with poignant echoes of these past two weeks of historical moments, indelible memories.

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

And how incredible those moments were, these memories are.

As people scrambled onto their trains, planes and buses this past day and a half, Vancouver has been left empty. Canada Hockey Place echoes with the glory of games won, victories lost; the Olympic Athletic Village is now bereft of its glorious inhabitants;  BC Place echoes with the emptiness of the silence left after the golden podium moments, the Neil Young "Long May You Run," sung lyrics.

Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue

The echoes, the emptiness are a dramatic reminder that people, energy, living organisms and the essence of being alive are what animate our Earth.

And isn't that what is at the heart of this whole discussion of the "greenest Olympic games in history." An urban landscape, without people, people who are alive, energetic and dynamic, is simply a lonely concrete urban landscape.

Men's Short Track Relay

To come together and celebrate the glory of a select few athletes who have trained hard to be at the pinnacle of human athletic excellence is the Olympics. It's as much the Olympics as the competitions themselves.

To leave a lasting legacy, a healthy planet, for these young athletes and their progeny, and all of the rest of us who currently call planet Earth home, is what is at the heart of this whole carbon neutral conversation, this ongoing dialogue about Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Shaun White

St. Gelais

Whether the Vancouver 2010 Olympic games were the greenest in history is not what is the most important criteria by which to judge. What the most important criteria by which to judge is that there was significant attention placed on the importance of Greening the Olympics.  And the threads of green were evidenced throughout the games, like an intricate brocade of spun gold, in this case, spun green.

Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Vonn

Three billion people worldwide watched the Winter Olympics. Hundreds of thousands walked the streets of Vancouver where no matter where you looked you saw recyclable trash cans, alternative energy showcases, streamlined public transportation, carbon offset programs...and pedestrians. Visitors to the Olympics no doubt learned a lot about Vancouver, and also couldn't avoid learning about environmental practices while they were there.

Jasey Jay Anderson

The power of sporting events to galvanize people, to galvanize nations was once again on display.

On the fuel-cell powered shuttle bus ride back from the NRC fuel cell research center, I was engaged in a friendly discussion with a fellow journalist from Reuters. "Are the games really the greenest?" she asked me.  My response to her, and now, is that it depends on where you focus and it depends on your mindset.  Sure, a Zamboni or two may have malfunctioned on the ice a couple of times, but where else has it been achieved to focus 3 billion people's attention on the issue of environmentally friendlier ways of throwing sporting events where the whole world comes to celebrate?

Women's Curling Team, Canada

Simon Ammann, Swiss, Photo by Dmitry Lovetsky, AssociatedPress

We will leave you with one last thought.  Bio Plastic Ski Boots.

Atomic Ski Boots Made From Bio Plastics

Hnh?  Yes, although plastics are simply, for the most part, solidified oil, DuPont has come up with a Bio Plastic called Hytrel® RS. It  contains 35% to 65% renewably sourced material. The plastic is made with carbon captured from coal-factory smokestacks, some plastics can be made from 55% captured carbon; the goal is 100%.

Atomic Ski Boots manufactures the ski boots. The newest boots in the line are the Renu 110 and Renu 90. They are billed as the first carbon negative planet positive product in the ski boot world. They use a style of plastic called Pebax Renew Bio Plastic. Atomic says all components of the boots are reusable and recyclable.

Green Blog Network *  Greening Vancouver

The Green Blog Network *  Greening Hollywood

Posted via web from The Green Blog Network

Olympic Echoes

Rock The Boat Documentary Film

I have never left you and I will always be here for you. Have you forgotten me? When you are ready to  return I will be here for you. It's time we start a life together again...             The Los Angeles River Kayaking in the Glendale Narrows A long stretch past Downtown Heading to Sepulveda Dam LA River near Downtown LA Dancers Protest Portaging.... PHOTOS by TOM ANDREWS Okay, so we don't usually post notices here. But this time we're making an exception. Why? 1. Because we love L.A. 2. Because we love Water. 3. Because we know the film director : ) Moreover, when LA's river was shackled by cement, the city's lifeblood was iced over by concrete. Revive the water flow and life will once again flow more freely and flourish. We're all for that. So during this 82nd Annual Oscar Week, take a little time and take in a Doc about the city that cradles the film industry. Produced by Heather Louise Parker and Directed by Thea Mercouffer Cinematography by Ian Campbell, Edited by David Dobson, and Music by Mike Raznick For more information, or to view the trailer, visit www.rocktheboatfilm.com Magic Pebble Media and WSR Creative present "ROCK THE BOAT - Reclaiming the LA River" Join us for a pre-screening of "Rock The Boat" and "On The Edge" Admission is free When: Wednesday, March 3rd 2010, 9PM Where: The Electric Lodge in Venice; 1416 Electric Avenue, Venice, CA 90291 Free parking on site Admission is free, but bring a checkbook, just in case you are moved to support us. Watch the films, meet the dancers, and stay after for an informal discussion with the filmmakers. ROCK THE BOAT - a fresh new doc    One man's dream to kayak in Los Angeles,           a cemented-in river, and                 a watershed moment for the nation. “Rock the Boat” follows a controversial and surreal boating expedition down the cemented-in Los Angeles River and looks at how the ‘city of dreams’ turned into nightmare sprawl due to our history of using, managing and re-working nature in a single-minded quest for 'more'. (Think Huckleberry Finn meets "Chinatown"). "Rock the Boat" is about how we found paradise, lost it, and might re-claim it. By turning the LA River into a vibrant focal point of LA, as many are now envisioning, this ever-expanding city might be again alive with hope and dreams, while becoming almost completely locally reliant for its water supply.  "On The Edge" (6 minutes short) In the summer of 2008 a group of intrepid Angelenos embarked on an unlikely and very illegal adventure: to boat the entire 51-mile length of the forbiddenLA River. Just after they were stopped by police in helicopters, they were met by three groups of dancers. Take Action...   WSR and Magic Pebble Media Welcome you to become a part of Film Making History. Three ways to get involved:  Simply forward this email to a friend.  You may know a boating enthusiast or someone passionate about the environment and who would like to participate in our prescreening as well as volunteer to help promote our film. Volunteer. We have several volunteer positions to help us raise awareness about our film as well as raise funds for its completion. Donate. Your donations are tax deductable and your name may appear on the credits of our final cut of Rock The Boat!  Please spread the word about this documentary - to LA friends, environmentalists, or people who love documentaries.  Help us create a greener future for the LA River - for all of us.

 

Posted via web from The Green Blog Network

Rock The Boat Documentary Film

Johnny Weir Says Vancouver Green And Clean

Vancouver is a great host city for the Olympics, said Johnny Weir at a press conference this afternoon. "Vancouver is so green and clean. Everyone is in love with this city and the fact that the games are here."

The Olympic contender for Men's Figure Skating called the press conference in response to the media frenzy fomenting around the derogatory comments a couple of on-air reporters made about Johnny regarding his sexual orientation while he was in the middle of his competitions.

"I grew my beard out today to show that I am a man, at the end of the day," said the 25 year old USA competitor. He told the assembled press that he's still in Vancouver preparing for the World Championships and training with his coaches who are all still up in Vancouver, B.C.

"I look forward to performing all around the world this year. I hope I can skate to Lady Gaga very soon," said Weir, referring to the song, "Poker Face."

Weir opened the press conference by thanking his fans for their outpouring of love and support. He also said that when he heard the derogatory comments made by the two reporters, he felt "pissed off" and defiant. He admitted to feeling that way because the criticisms were directed at him personally and not at him as an athlete and Olympic contender.

He said he chose to speak out about this issue not because he wants an apology, he believes, he said, in freedom of speech and that people have the right to voice their opinions, but he said that he felt it was important to set a strong example for the boys and girls who will follow.

"No one should be made to feel like a freak or a weirdo," he said.  "I just hope that more boys and girls have parents like me who allow their children to be an individual.  It's definitely the time for freedom. Time to be unique and to believe in themselves," he said expressing that this is the message he feels is most important to impart to the younger generations.

As for his thoughts on the quad?  He said that he is "so excited that Evan won [Olympic Gold Medal] without doing a quad."  Weir conceded that the judging in figure skating has always been suspect. "And when you're on the receiving end of it, it can be not nice, to lose to people who fall down, who make glaring mistakes, he said.

At attending member of the press from Canada's Quebec Province asked Johnny Weir if he was aware of the tremendous outpouring of support for him that has come from that province, where two radio announcers originally made the offensive comments. Weir said that a good friend of his from Montreal has already told him as such.

"Out of ugly, the most important thing in life is to make something beautiful," said Weir. "The only thing I ever wanted from this figure skating craziness was to perform, to perform my art."

He said he has plans to pursue a career in fashion design at some point.

Green Blog Network  *  Greening Vancouver

The Green Blog Network  *  Greening Hollywood

Green Blog Network  Sponsored in part by:

Johnny Weir Says Vancouver Green And Clean

Olympic Medalist Makes History

For the first time in Olympic history the games partnered with a luxury jewelry company as one of the sponsors of the world competitions. Birks & Mayors, Canada's iconic jewelry company, nearly as old as the country it has sprung from, has proved itself a Golden choice for this partnership.

Birks & Mayors,  along with Tiffany's, has been rated #1 by the internationally recognized Earthworks organization for their adherence to the Golden Rules, a set of social, environmental, and human rights principles that are part of the No Dirty Gold campaign which guides more responsible and ethically sourced gold production. "Responsible is beautiful" is their motto and the reasoning behind their multiple programs to give back to the environment and the community.

Birks & Mayors, a "world-class brand with heart," has done more than simply gift 42,000 pieces of fine jewelry to the Olympic family, they have also stepped forward with designs commemorating the games, from charm bracelets fashioned with 3D replicas of the Olympic mascots, to pendants inspired by the Four Host First Nations artistic symbols, to a complete line of earrings, pendants and bracelets designed by Brand Ambassador and Olympic Silver Medalist, Canadian Jenn Heil.

Heil was asked by Birks & Mayors to not only be the brand ambassador for the Olympic games but also to design a line of jewelry. She chose to use the five rings of the Olympics as her design motif. Five percent of the proceeds from these pieces are donated to the Canadian Olympic Committee to benefit the Olympics and Paralympics.

"Everyone at Birks & Mayors have been so behind me. Thanks to Birks for trusting me and giving me carte blanche when it came to designing the Olympic-inspired jewelry designs."

She explained that the five rings, each with a distinctive demarcation imprinted on the silver rings, symbolize:

1. Dream  - "It's important that we dream big and that we go after our dreams."
2. Focus - the design motif is like "a target."
3. Team - to symbolize that a great achievement such as the Olympics are a "team effort"
4. Courage - "It takes a lot of courage to go after our own dreams, carrying with us our own values."
5. Joy - "I constantly have this bubbling up feeling of joy with everything I do. That feeling of joy needs to come with me everywhere I go and with everything I do."

Heil spoke to an assembled crowd of journalists and dignitaries recently on a bright Vancouver morning.

Mr. Thomas Andruskevich, President and CEO of Birks & Mayors, said to Heil, "You not only won the Medal, you won the hearts of all Canadians."

The Honorable Gary Lunn, Minister of State Sport & 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games, said, "The relationship we've had with Birks is amazing. They've been very involved in the torch celebration. Fifteen million Canadians came out at some point along the torch relay to welcome it here in Canada. Birks made the commemorative plaques that now mark the route all across our country." He also had nothing but great esteem for Heil, of whom he said, "A more genuine human being as you'd ever like to meet."

Heil's values match those of the iconic Birk's: playful, stylish, fluid fun. And ethical. In 2003 Birks subscribed to the Boreal Forest Conservation Framework, a commitment to the long-term sustainability of Canada's Boreal region. In addition, their Mammoth Tusk Gold program, "includes partnering with the local mining community and respecting their right to engage, with self determination, in every aspect of the mining operation.  This initiative is not only a pledge but a certified operational business practice unique to Birks."

For More Information About the Green Gold Standard, Read Here.

In addition, Canada's North West Territories are the world's third largest producer of rough-cut diamonds. They are clean diamonds, as opposed to much of Africa's "blood diamonds." In 2008 over $2 billion diamonds were produced from the region.  Read More Here about North West Territory Diamonds.

Green Blog Network  *  Greening Vancouver

The Green Blog Network  *  Greening Hollywood

Green Blog Network  Sponsored in part by:

Posted via web from The Green Blog Network

Olympic Medalist Makes History

Green Girl Makes Good

CONGRATULATIONS!!  Janine Johnson, founder of GreenWave Foundation, social entrepreneur and featured Green Blog Network writer, just got hitched.  BF...er...Fiancee', is Crystal Method's Ken Jordan, recently featured by Janine in these pages for his Grammy Nom 2010.

And This is how they do it...


Crystal Method @ Control LA: Proposal from Dillon Morris on Vimeo.

Greening Hollywood  *  Green Blog Network * Greening Vancouver

The Green Blog Network 

Green Girl Makes Good

Canada Owns The Podium

 Jenn Heil, Vancouver 2010, Olympic Silver Medalist, Photo Courtesy BCMC

"And while the pursuit of athletic excellence is the point, the Olympics are  a celebration of the fundamental aspects that unite people."  - P.M. Stephen Harper

Sustainability is a concept that has wide applications.  Presently you often hear it used in the context of environmental programs. However, "sustainability" can be applied to a wider band of disciplines, such as sports. Here in Canada, at the 2010 Olympics, the idea of sustainable podium performances is what defines their Own The Podium program.

 

Jenn Heil, the Canadian Team's first claimer of Olympic metal, stated consistently that "Own The Podium really gives us the support to win the medal for Team Canada."  Heil gleefully announced at a February 14th press conference that "Canada's medal train has now left the station!"  She will be awarded the Silver at this evening's first 2010 Olympic Games medal ceremony for her mogul skiing performance at last night's Cypress Hill competition. Follow the Canadian Team on Twitter: COT_ALL_UPDATES.

Own the Podium is an innovative and collaborative initiative without precedent in Canadian sport. It was created to bring together the key parties involved in leading and funding excellence in Canadian sport, with specific emphasis on achieving excellence at Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

 

 Jenn Heil, Vancouver 2010, Olympic Silver Medalist, Photo Courtesy BCMC

 

Kristi Richards, also an Olympic Contender, and the 2007 World Champion for women's moguls, has put her momentum behind sustaining athletes by starting her own "Supporting The Dream Legacy Fund."  She explained that her hometown of Summerland, B.C. stood so strongly behind her while she developed as an athlete that she decided to start a foundation which has the kids fundraising for themselves. "Through the Adopt An Athlete program, I actually turned it back around for the kids. I help them fundraise and then the funds go back to develop them as athletes." Her program is known as the I Can Be Legacy Fund. She showed true Olympian sportsmanship, taking her competitive crash in stride and acknowledging that it allowed her "a second start. I got to get the crowd excited again."  She's also a supporter of the 1 Step Foundation, a sports oriented environmental foundation.

On this Valentine's Day 2010, love is in the air. Love for team, love for country and love for the competitive spirit of athletes,... that spirit that pushes us, as the human race to achieve unprecedented excellence.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has invested a personal presence to these historic winter games. He has shown up at the Olympic Village to galvanize his team to win gold and bring home medals for Canada in 2010; he also "waited for about 10 minutes in the rain, with his daughter" to congratulate Jenn Heil on her win, she said, the heartfelt appreciation apparent on the athlete's face.

Appreciation, recognition and support are all ingredients that form the alchemy of sustainability.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and wife Mrs. Laureen Harper, along with the Right Honorable Michaellle Jean, Governor General of Canada, whose official duty it was to open the Olympic Games of 2010 in Vancouver,  hosted heads of state at an Olympic Reception just prior to the opening ceremonies in downtown Vancouver Feb. 12th.

Faster, Better, Higher...than has ever been attained by human beings before... is what these assembled Olympians, from across the globe, are here to achieve, the Prime Minister reminded the gathering at the special reception hosted in the city's downtown Fairmont Hotel.  Just below the second story windows, a crowd of several hundred protesters to the games had gathered just prior to Opening Ceremonies. Thousands more, all suporters of the games,  jammed the streets, decked out in Canadian flags, Olympic Gear, their country's colors and maple leafs on their way to watch live or view on humongous outdoor/indoor screens peppered across the city,  the Opening Ceremonies to the games.

Opening Ceremonies, the first ever to be held indoors, were a spectacle, as in the Francophone take on the word, "Spectacular."

Dignitaries on hand included Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and V.P. Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden. Dignitaries and representatives from other countries in attendance included Belarusse, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, France, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, USA, Denmark, Norway, United Kingdom, Cayman.

Canada's P.M. Stephen Harper welcomed the international delegation to "one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world," speaking in both French and English.

He described the 5500 Olympic athletes as a "colorful procession that showcases how easily disparity can be swallowed up by a sporting event."

He continued by saying, "And while the pursuit of athletic excellence is the point, the Olympics are  a celebration of the fundamental aspects that unite people."

He cited the feel-good example, being used concurrently in a running Visa commercial, of the Turin Games' Sarah Renner who broke her ski pole and was then aided by the Norwegian Olympic coach who sprang forward  to lend her his. This type of sportsmanship is what sports should be all about, he concluded.

The somberness of the day's events, however, were not to be ignored.

"There are also moments that break your heart - such as today's death of Nodar Kumaritashvili, Georgia's Luge athlete's death. These athletes live the Faster, Better, Higher credo, meaning Faster, Better, Higher than has ever been attained by human beings before. These aspirations, he said, come at certain costs."

Canada's Harper ended his greeting to his international guests by observing a minute of silence in respect for the Georgian Athlete.

Governor General:  "Thank you so much for standing together with Canadians.The Olympics are a celebration of solidarity among all peoples. To honor the best in all of us. "

Right Honorable Michaellle Jean, Governor General of Canada also spoke first in French and then in English when she told her guests that "The world is yearning for change, the kind of change to uplift us. The kind of change with which everyone everywhere can achieve their highest potential. The Olympic flame was received and greeted with so much fellowship and community." she noted.  "Humanity is linked in a cosmic circle of interdependence, with the shared values of:  peace, inclusion, solidarity all at the core of Olympic values."

These values have been expressed in more than words.  For the first time in Olympic history a third brand, the brand of the Four Host Nations Society, in addition to  the IOC and the host city of Vancouver - has been allowed official Olympic communications.

Shawn Atleo

 

For Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, current national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, this is significantly meaningful. "These games are about sports, arts and our culture. It's about bringing it all together and putting it out there for the world to see. This is what these Winter Games are all about for us."  He spoke to guests gathered at a fashion show celebrating First Nations fashion designers Dorothy Grant, Pamela Baker and Angela DeMontigny on February 13th just as Jenn Heil was winning silver for her country.

Sophie Pierre, Chief Commissioner of the B.C. Treaty Commission, commented that seeing the Opening Ceremonies to the 2010 Olympics were once-in-a-lifetime memorable. "They gave us all a drum, drumstick, a battery-powered candle and white cape as we entered B.C. Place. All 55,000 of us. It's how they created the effect of snow and ice as a backdrop for the ceremonies," she explained, adding that the audience participation was unprecedented. A friend and guest of Dorothy Grant's at her fashion show, she remarked that she wondered when will we see a male First Nations fashion designer?"

During this hyper-competitive time, when countries from around the world are assembled to display the zenith performances of their athletes, Canada once again displayed its quality for compassion when the crowd of Maple-leaf-bearers began to applaud for U.S.'s Hannah Kearney who took gold this round after finishing 22nd in Turin.

***It is estimated that 24 million Canadians watched the Opening Ceremonies.  In a country whose population totals just over 30 Million, that's enormous solidarity!  More Info at CTV

 

Green Blog Network *  Greening Vancouver * The Green Blog Network * Greening Hollywood

 

Green Blog Network Sponsored in part by: 

Posted via web from The Green Blog Network

Canada Owns The Podium

Passing The Torch, Common Goals See Nations Working Together

In Vancouver for the First Annual Leaders' Forum of the Pacific Coast Collaborative, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger began his day bright and early by carrying the Olympic Flame along the Sea Wall of Vancouver's beautiful Stanley Park. The flame glowed especially bright against the backdrop of the sky and Vancouver Harbor at sunrise. 

 

 Photo Courtesy Darryl Dyck/ Canadian Press  

British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell joined the Governator and both enjoyed fans and Olympic spectators who turned out by the thousands to watch this historical run on the Opening Day of Olympic Winter Games 2010.

Since mid-November when the flame arrived in Vancouver from Greece, each day it has been shepherded lovingly from one town to another, all over Canada. Torchbearers have carried it on horseback, in sailboats, on wheelchairs, on dogsleds and even by air when it went up to the Arctic Circle.

The Leaders' Forum of the Pacific Coast Collaborative brings together Washington State, Oregon, British Columbia and California to discuss the economy and environment and other areas of mutual interest.  In addition to Governor Schwarzenegger and Premier Campbell, Christine Gregoire, Governor of Washington and Oregon's Secretary of State Kate Brown were also in attendance.

The region of Oregon, Washington and B.C. is sometimes referred to as "Cascadia," alluding to more of a bio-regional and geographical area rather than geo-political boundaries.  To include California, with its forward-thinking policies on environmental issues and its wealth of natural resources, is a logical move.

The Pacific Coast Collaborative was formed in June 2008 as a "partnership for leadership, co-operative action and a common voice on issues affecting the Pacific coast region." Alaska is also a member of the collaborative. Its ongoing priorities are Ocean Conservation and Climate Change.

International icon Arnold Schwarzenegger was invited to carry the torch on the day of the Official Opening of the Olympics 2010 by his friend, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell.  He was, in fact, one of 20 Americans to carry the Olympic torch during its 106 day relay throughout Canada. Two American Olympians also enjoyed the honor, Shawn Johnson, gymnast and darling of the Beijing games and Taekwando Olympic Gold champion Steven Lopez both ran with the torch during its cross-country journey.

 

Photo Courtesy Stephanie Clary

Crowds shouted their warm greetings to the former Mr. Universe Body Builder as he passed by. "He looks so strong," remarked a child who got to see the Terminator up-close, in person.  As Schwarzenegger came to the point along the Stanley Park Seawall where he passed the flame off to Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2010 Olympic Organizing Committee, one of the assembled fans yelled out a greeting in Ahhnold-speak "Arh, Arh, Get to the Choppa." The packed in crowd erupted in laughter, and even the Governator busted a smile. You had to be there.

MORE On You Gotta Be Here at CBC News

*Green Blog Network *  Greening Vancouver * Greening Hollywood *

The Green Blog Network * Greening Vancouver * Greening Hollywood 

 

Green Blog Network sponsored in part by:

Posted via web from The Green Blog Network

Passing The Torch, Common Goals See Nations Working Together

Olympic Sport 2010 - Bobwheeling - For The Warmer Winters

At today's unveiling of Olympic Rendezvous at Samsung (OR@S) Gerhard Heiberg of the International Olympic Committee stated with full confidence, "We chose the right place," when referring to Vancouver, B.C., in which to hold the Winter Games. Except maybe, for the weather, he quietly added. Ironically, the unusually mild 2010 winter that the city is experiencing gives the greenies a great backdrop to drill down on the point of global warming. 

"We were on Cloud 9 when we were awarded the games back in 2003," stated Premier Campbell at the Samsung WOW Rendezvous launch, attended by Super Athlete, Wayne Gretzky. Amazingly, as recent as 2003 there was still debate about the "real" or "imagined" existence of global warming.

Enter The Offsetters: Offsetting the Winter Games one ton at a time.

So while headlines point to the trucking in of snow for the Winter Games, these kids from Kelowna, Canada dreamed up a new Olympic sport for our ever-evolving Earth.  Of course, they did so tongue-in-cheek and in conjunction with OffSetters, a carbon offsetting company founded by two University of British Columbia professors. Offsetters is encouraging every Olympic attendee and guest to do their part in offsetting their impact on the globe during the games.Calculate your Impact Here.

The 2010 Winter Games’ footprint will be an estimated 118,000 tonnes of direct carbon emissions – all emissions that are directly attributable to the 2010 Winter Games like venue construction, facility heating, and athlete travel. Additionally, this event will produce 150,000 tonnes of ‘indirect’ emissions – emissions that are largely attributable to flights and accommodation for spectators, media, corporate sponsors and their partners.

Bobwheeling: The Newest Olympic Sport

Can't See The Video?  CLICK HERE for BOBWHEELING

As humorous as this is, the concern is real. Snow is being trucked in, flown in, bussed in to Cypress Mountain. Come Friday the Winter Olympic's first event, women's moguls, will need snow.  Below, VANOC CEO, John Furlong, is escorted off the tarmac in downtown Vancouver after a look-see flyover the Sea to Sky route which is the Whistler to Vancouver road. At Samsung's Rendezvous Furlong said, "When the torch arrives here tomorrow evening, life as we know it will change.  More than anything we here in Vancouver want to leave behind the positive legacy that the power of sports can change lives." Let the snow, er, games begin.

From NY POST:

 

Have an Eco Idea to share? Jump into the Games.

 

Green Blog Network *  Greening Vancouver * Greening Hollywood * The Green Blog Network

 

Green Blog Network sponsored in part by:

 

Posted via web from The Green Blog Network

Olympic Sport 2010 - Bobwheeling - For The Warmer Winters

Olympics 2010 Technology Takes Gold

Olympics 2010 Winter Games  - Today's Gold Medal went to Technology.

From Ontario House to B.C. Place to Bell, technology is what's going to deliver the games to the world and make real the amazing Olympic feats of these world-class athletes.  What's the old adage?...

You gotta see it to believe it!

From the fun to the sophisticated, Olympics 2010 is the wired place to be.  Bell, VANOC and Avaya partnered up and have delivered not just tried-and-true technology for these Olympic games but also the first all IP Olympic Games - meaning all voice, data and internet is carried over a single network.  Justin Webb, V.P. for Bell, Olympic Services, admits that "technology is a silent partner of the games"...usually. During these games viewers will experience "flawless games"; We will watch events unfold because the images are carried at the speed of light over the network.  "Photographs will traverse the network and possibly post on the internet even before the skiier, for example, arrives at the finish line."

VANOC expects 60 million unique visitors to Vancouver2010 in 17 days, says Ward Chapin, VANOC's Technology guy.

Let The Fun Begin!

If you're a total Geek - like me - two things you've got to do, unequivocally, is watch the 4D movie at Ontario House and try out the Interaxon brain-wave controlled light real-life-game also at The Ontario House. That Ontario House is right next door to the Molson Canadian Hockey House, makes it another good reason to go.  But I digress...

Just when everyone's talking about 3D here comes 4D.  What's 4D?  Ever been to California Adventureland at Disneyland in SoCal?  This 4D theatre and movie at Olympics 2010 Ontario House is like that. You smell the hot chocolate as you see it on the screen; you're sprayed with snow as you watch the hockey players; you smell the pine needles as you soar across the landscape. It's like a little piece of Disneyland next to B.C. Place.

Thoughts. Matter.

The other Must Do, and this one is super trippy, is a real-life game developed by a young guy named Chris for his company Interaxon, "thought controlled computing."  Up on the three large screens are pictures of Niagara Falls, the Parliament buildings in Ottawa, and Toronto's CN Tower.  You are seated in a pretty comfy leather chair and a pair of earphones are placed on your head with a sensor touching your Third Eye.  This sensor measures your brainwaves.  When you focus on the image, the intensity of your brainwaves lights up the landmark.  For real.

Your brain ACTUALLY lights up the Parliament buildings in Ottawa in real time. It's not just an image on a screen.  Someone standing in Ottawa will see the building light up, thanks to your brain activity there in B.C.  Chris, the developer, admitted it took a bit of getting through some red tape to get permission to pull this off! For Niagara Falls, you can change the color reflected against the Falls.  You've got to try this. It's like playing God.

More fun stuff at Ontario House are the great eats and the beer, wine, and ice wine! Culinary staff and chef are borrowed from Opus, the Yaletown hotel favored by the entertainment folk.

Also, more techie games - a first-ever no-glasses 3D screen game that you power from your Blackberry. It was developed by a Sheridan student, the Ontario Technology advanced training school that has seen two Academy Award winners from its alumni.

Also, the whole House is paperless.  From the art installation, "Waterfall," that graces the far wall, made from discarded plastic water bottles, to the touch-screen digital image tables that showcase the upcoming concerts during the Winter Games at Ontario House, to the compostable cups. On Twitter @EventsOntario

In fact, sustainability is a thread that's woven throughout the entire technology infrastructure of the Games. Bell was able to reduce their copper footprint by a third because of the converged networks. "And the way we deployed the nodes, there's a 40% reduction in overall power consumption, thus reducing the overall carbon footprint in terms of energy consumption," explains Dave Johnson of Avaya, Bell's technology infrastructure partner.  And with partner Samsung, Bell is coordinating repurposing of the thousands of handsets being given out to staff and volunteers during the games.

The Green Blog Network

  The Green Blog Network

Recycle, Reuse, Rejoice!

Posted via email from The Green Blog Network

Olympics 2010 Technology Takes Gold