Eco-friendly Olympics

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The Olympic Games in Italy are expected to generate "just over 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide with the main sources of emissions coming from transport and the operation of the Olympic venues," according to the United Nations Environment Programme.

The good news is that the International Olympics Committee worked with the EU's Eco Management and Audit Scheme to employ ways to offset the CO2-producing activities including: a waste-materials plan that combines recycling with an efficient system of energy retrieval; an extensive sustainable transport plan for athletes and spectators; an eco-friendly Olympic Village built using pollution-free materials; and state-of-the-art soda machines at the event that use carbon dioxide as refrigerant instead of ozone-damaging substances.