The Livable Blog

Cathy Wilander and Eric Doherty: Scrub the greenwash off the Freeway Olympics

By Cathy Wilander and Eric Doherty

Many people are asking: Why protest the Olympics when the money is already spent and most of the damage is done?

The reason we will be out on the streets on Friday (February 12) to welcome the Olympic torch and opening ceremony is to highlight the real story and the real costs of the Games and related projects. An informed public is our best hope of stopping such multi-billion-dollar boondoggles in the future.

If the truth about these Games is not exposed, more destructive megaprojects will follow, and B.C. residents will be left paying off the debt, breathing the pollution, and watching global warming spiral out of control. But if we speak up loud and clear, public resources can be redirected toward making our province a better place to live instead of financing the destruction of our environment and communities.

The 2010 Winter Olympics have been branded the “Greenest Games”. But the Games are linked to a massive freeway expansion scheme which is already boosting consumption of tar sands oil and funnelling dirty money into the pockets of Olympic sponsors such as General Motors, Petro-Canada, the Royal Bank, and TransCanada Pipelines. The previous Winter Games in Italy were bad enough, but at least they included a pledge to avoid any major roadway expansion. The 2010 Games are a huge step backwards for environmental standards at the Olympics. [snip]

Full text and links at
http://www.straight.com/article-286495/vancouver/cathy-wilander-and-eric-doherty-scrub-greenwash-freeway-games

(If you like the article, you might want to click on recommend on the straight website or say so in the comments section)

Infrastructure Bigs: To Compete, NYC Needs Congestion Pricing, Tolls

by Noah Kazis on February 1, 2010
At a panel put on by the New School last week, some of New York's biggest players in transportation and planning came together to discuss the future of the city's infrastructure. They all seemed to agree: The city can't keep up with its global competitors without new sources of revenue.
http://tinyurl.com/yeoyzhu

Greenest Games or Freeway Olympics?

GatewaySucks.org is proud to partner with the Council of Canadians, Canada's largest public advocacy organization, to challenge the freeway building and corporate greenwashing promoted by the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Together we will "greet" the Olympic Torch Relay when it arrives at Delta Municipal Hall on Feb. 9 at 3pm, and join the Take Back Our City festival and parade in Vancouver on Feb. 12, also at 3pm. Join us! We will provide signs and banners at both events.

Tuesday Feb. 9, 3 pm: Delta Municipal Hall - 4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent (5 min walk from Ladner Exchange bus loop) http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Ladner+Exchange,+Delta,+BC+(Ladner+Exchange+-+Bus+Loop)&daddr=Delta+municipal+hall&geocode=CcjU76QZyX7XFewE7QIdYjiq-CFdfAN4og-xiw%3BFWj47AIdz0iq-CGvtqd2AHjcAA&hl=en&mra=pe&mrcr=0&dirflg=w&sll=49.086122,-123.060312&sspn=0.013547,0.037894&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=17 [note that you walk through the parking lot, not around as Shown on Google Maps]

Friday Feb. 12 3pm: Vancouver Art Gallery - Georgia Street between Howe & Hornby (near Granville station & Vancouver City Centre station)

For more information see:

http://www.gatewaysucks.org/freeway-olympics

http://www.canadians.org/olympics/index.html

http://2010welcoming.wordpress.com/

Strange math from the David Suzuki Foundation. They state that 2010 "will likely be remembered as among the greenest and most climate-friendly Olympics held so far." But the previous winter games included a pledge not to expand roadways for the games - so 2010 is a significant step backwards.

Greenest Games?

Or Freeway Olympics?

The scorecard lamented that the 2010 Olympics "will not leave the region with a significant legacy in sustainable transportation," choosing $600 million in upgrades to the Sea to Sky Highway instead of investing in sustainable transportation between Vancouver and Whistler such as through expanded use of the existing rail line.

"The new highway will encourage more vehicle traffic after the Games, exacerbate urban sprawl, and result in increased greenhouse gas emissions from transportation for the region...."

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Vancouver+Olympics+earn+bronze+medal+climate+protection+efforts/2517316/story.html

I think that 2010 will be remembered as the greenwash games, where much of the spending was focused on increasing the most polluting forms of transportation. The money has been spent making it more convenient to drive (between $600 million and $1 billion for the Sea-to-Sky highway widening) and to fly (huge airport expansion and rapid transit to the airport).

The DSF report does critique one aspect of the Olympic green spin, criticizing the "20 hydrogen buses . . . purchased at a cost of $90 million. This money might have been better spent on a greater number of trolley buses."
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/files/climate/Climate_Scorecard_for_the_2010_Vancouver_Olympics.pdf

The 2010 games do not deserve a bronze, they deserve to be thrown out of the competition for cheating and green doping.

The question is if people will say NO to continuing with the freeway and airport expansion binge after the circus leaves town, leaving a huge financial mess left behind. The Olympics have blown a $6 billion dollar hole in our public purse, but Gateway is set to blow another multi-billion dollar hole in our finances. The proposed South Fraser Freeway alone could take another $2 billion away from transit, energy efficiency, housing, education, health care, arts funding, and other public priorities.

See www.gatewaysucks.org/freeway-olympics for information on how to get involved in scrubbing off the Olympic greenwash and stopping the freeway expansion madness. Hope to see you Fri. Feb. 12 at 3pm. (and stay tuned for information about the Feb 9 action in Delta)

Map showing location of trail head - detail below

How close is your favorite nature trail? Would you be surprised that a beautiful new hiking trail is being opened by the Wilderness Committee and Surrey Environmental Partners not far from the south side of the Port Mann Bridge? The good news is that the South Fraser Witness Trail is officially opening with a short ceremony and guided hike on Saturday January 30th at 11 am.

Nestled along the edge of Surrey Bend Regional Park and the banks of the Fraser River, this lush and magnificent trail will make you forget that major cities are close by. The bad news is that this area is slated to be destroyed to make way for the South Fraser Perimeter Road as part of the Gateway project.

Please join us for the trail opening and see for yourself what is at stake. We need to stop freeway expansion for the sake of local green space, habitat for local species and to slow global warming before it’s too late.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bljGVTrJ4aA

The trail head where we will meet is on 168 St, 400 meters northwest of the intersection of 168 St. and 108 Ave, in Fraser Heights. There is direct bus service from Surrey Central Skytrain on the C74 bus, just get off at 168 St and 108 Ave and walk northwest on 168 St (past 108A Ave).

Google map link - now with transit info:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=49.202606,-122.759857%20%28Trailhead%202%20actual%29

The hiking trail has rugged sections and water resistant footwear is recommended. This event will proceed rain or shine and will only be canceled in case of high winds or other dangerous conditions. Please bring water and lunch if you want to go on the hike.

For more information visit www.wildernesscommittee.org, call 604 683 8220 or contact ben@wildernesscommittee.org