7th World Conference on Sport and the Environment - International ...

Report
4.12. Plenary 3 – Athletes and sport at the service of the
environment
4.12.2. Communicating the sport and environment message
Yaping Deng, Olympian
Today, I will give a presentation about the Role of Athletes in Environmental Protection. I wish to
demonstrate the interdependence between sustainable development of the environment and the Olympic
Games. This presentation will cover the following aspects:
1. Relationship between sustainable development of the environment and the development
of the Olympic Games.
2. Importance of the environment for athletes.
3. Athletes’ activities to protect the environment.
4. Conclusion.
First,
1. The relationship between sustainable development of the environment and the development
of the Olympic Games.
Since the 1990’s, environmental issues have become one of the most important projects in long-term
development of the Olympic Games. All countries that are applying for the Games or that are hosting the
Games have to take the issue of environmental protection into great consideration in the construction of
venues and measures taken during the Games. Beijing is the host country of the XXIX Olympic Games in
2008, and “Green Olympics” is one of the three themes. Public awareness can be raised by organizing
educational activities about environmental protection. In this way, the Green Spirit can be passed down
to future generations in China and the whole world. Therefore, we should take the Olympic Games as a
great opportunity to raise people’s environmental awareness and improve the environment.
2. Importance of the environment for athletes.
1. A good environment not only provides favorable external conditions for athletes in competition, but
also is helpful for athletes’ health. A bad environment, on the other hand, will affect the athletes’
performance and health, in which case how can we expect athletes to make a breakthrough in
their performance? In every Olympic Games, good air, food safety and drinking water are given
great emphasis. During the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, we will provide a comfortable and
environmentally friendly Village for athletes and officials. We can see that not only athletes, but also
all the people in society, need a good living environment.
2. It is our right and responsibility to protect the environment; even small details that we pay attention
to will make great contributions to the ecological environment. I am here as deputy director of
the Olympic Village Department of BOCOG. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce
and demonstrate the environmental protection facilities at the Beijing Olympic Village. During
the Games time, about 16,000 athletes and officials will be accommodated in this Village. In
order to provide a convenient and comfortable living environment, we have adopted many green
technologies in the Village. The Olympic Village will use advanced solar direct-flow evacuatedtubes
heat collection technology for providing hot water and showers. This technology effectively
reduces power consumption. In addition, in the Village, a heat pump project uses cooling and
heating water sources which are reclaimed water from the Qinghe Sewage Treatment Plant; this
can meet requirements for cooling and heating the residential area. For more detailed information,
I would like to invite you to go to the Village with me. In this video, you will get more visual
information about environmental facilities in the Village.
3. Athletes’ activities to protect the environment.
Humanity and the environment should take care of each other, because we can breathe more and more
fresh air as long as we take good care of the environment. Now, environmental affairs need support from
more and more people; therefore, we need a small group of people to serve as role models who set good
examples for other people. Here, athletes, as public figures and models for young people, will play an
important role in environmental protection. Therefore, there are many environmental protection activities
in which famous athletes take part in China. For example, this September the Chinese government
launched a large-scale, country-wide activity named Energy Saving and Emissions Reduction. This
activity has the participation and support of all the Chinese people and the government. It is my honor
to be a volunteer in this activity and to join in the opening ceremony, promotional video and soiree
(or, evening party). This activity not only spreads the ideas about the importance of environmental
<strong>7th</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Sport and the Environment
International Cooperation and Development Dept.
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