The Green Olympics are here, with carbon budget and daily E. coli water tests
World waits for Emmanuel Macron to jump into the River Seine.
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By Calla Kra-Caskey
(Calla Kra-Caskey is an aspiring sports writer from the San Francisco Bay Area. They are currently completing an English and Visual Studies degree at Haverford College.)
With just days to go before the Summer Olympics begin, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has made good on her promise to swim in the Seine. And France’s Minister of Sports, Amelie Oudea-Castera, also took the plunge. The only one who vowed to take a dip in the famously dirty and historically unswimmable river that runs through Paris but has not, yet, is French President Emmanuel Macron. His office said he still plans to swim in the River Seine as promised but “not necessarily” before the games.
Swimming has been banned in the capital river since 1923, but France has poured about $1.5 billion and a lot of competitive civic effort into bringing water quality back to an acceptable level. Politicians and organizers want to raise the confidence level as well.
But with the opening ceremonies for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad scheduled for Friday, the chances that the Seine will be host to triathlon and marathon swimming races remain murky at best.
Data from the Fluidion Open Data Initiative on E. coli bacteria levels in the Seine showed 847 colony-forming units per 100 mL as of Tuesday, down from 2,012 last Wednesday, July 17. The World Triathlon Federation says 900 units per 100 mL is safe for competitions.
Over the past months, an extensive cleaning project has taken place. The goal is for tourists and locals to be able to swim in the river after the games end. Officials from the city’s sanitation works say the games have catalyzed and accelerated efforts to clean the river.
But not everyone supports the cleanup efforts. Last month, Parisians threatened to defecate in the river, protesting that the funds should instead have gone to social causes.
Like many large, old cities, Paris has a combined system that allows both sewage and rainwater runoff to combine in the river. But as part of the cleanup efforts, sewage lines for about 20,000 buildings have been rerouted. Also, the city has built a giant underground storage tank to hold overflow during periods of heavy rain. This should limit the amount of times the sewer system releases water into the river from 12 times a year to two, drastically reducing pollutants.
In the case of heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding during the Olympic games — which run through Aug. 11 — it will take 44 hours to get the water back to a safe level for swimming. Pauline Lavaud, who advises the mayor of Paris on water and climate, said, “We are now back to the level of sanity of the pre-industrial era… The Olympics have made us gain 10 years on our project of making the Seine bathable.”
A report from Le Monde says that the flow of the Seine has been unseasonably high, but is decreasing thanks to recent dry weather. That’s good news for cleaner water.
If the water quality isn’t good enough, organizers could reschedule the events or move marathon swimming to the Marne river east of Paris.
Cleaning up more than the Seine
However, efforts to showcase the Seine for the games are not just about PR, but part of a larger sustainability effort.
For the first time , the summer olympics will have a carbon budget. For previous games, including London, which produced 3.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions; Rio, which produced up to 4.5 million tonnes; and Tokyo, which created up to 2.7 million tonnes despite the Covid ban on spectators, organizers have taken an entertain-first, offset-later approach.
Planning ahead for carbon savings
Because so much of the CO₂ produced happens before the games, a proactive approach is beneficial. The carbon budget is split between three categories: travel, construction, and logistics.
The goal of the Paris Olympics, then, is to cut emissions in half, with a target of 1.5 million tonnes. Although the Olympic Host Contract will require cities to minimize emissions, that will not go into effect until 2030.
As of now, Paris’ sustainability commitments are not binding. The strategy to reduce emissions includes the use of offsets and carbon credits, often decried as greenwashing. The process is complicated by the fact that the Olympics’ standards for selecting these projects remain private.
All of the energy for the games will be wind or solar-powered, and the grid powering the games will remain in the city after they’re concluded. About 95% of venues used will be temporary or previously existing, and the Athletes’ Village will be transformed into an eco-friendly neighborhood after the games.
Sustainability on the menu
One element of reducing logistical emissions is in catering for athletes and staff. Although catering only accounts for 1% of the carbon budget, sustainable choices there serve as an example for the rest of the games.
Over the course of 19 days of competition, 13 million meals will be served. The amount of plant-based food will be doubled from past games. Additionally, 80% of ingredients will be French sourced, with 25% coming from within 250 kilometers of the venues. This reduces the environmental cost of transporting the food to the games, and boosts local economies.
The games will also try to reduce single-use plastics by 50% compared with the London games. It’s expected about 20 million cold beverages will be consumed during the games, and through a collaboration with Coca-Cola KO 0.00%↑, the Olympics will shift from disposable containers to glass bottles, water fountains, and refill stations. Dishes and containers will also be reusable. Efforts made to limit organic waste include donating, composting, and producing renewable gasses with leftover food. According to French chef Thierry Marx, the Olympic Games “support the food transition in a positive way by proving that what is good for our health and the planet is also good to eat.”
Like holding swimming events in the Seine, other environmental efforts have faced resistance from participants. When it was originally announced that there would be no air conditioning in athletes’ dormitories — the norm for European households — teams including U.S. athletes were worried about the health of their athletes. Organizers relented, allowing teams to order their own temporary AC units.
Host cities of Olympic Games often suffer financially and infrastructurally after the worlds’ athletes have packed up and left. The organizers of Paris 2024 want to avoid that. By focusing not only on carbon neutrality but individual eco-friendly projects that will benefit the city for decades beyond the event, they hope to ensure the Olympics have a lasting positive impact.
Organizers also want these games to set an example for sustainability in sports. They’ve launched the Climate Coach, a personalized app, to reduce the carbon footprint of sporting events in France and help partners and future event hosts minimize their carbon footprint.
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