【教育副刊暑期版】Green and Sustainable Olympics in Paris
【明報專訊】Paris has become the second city, after London, to host the Summer Olympics for a third time. This marks the return of the Summer Olympics to France after a gap of 100 years, with the previous ones held in 1900 and 1924 respectively. Text: Hilton Kwok
Given the increasingly serious climate issues and the impacts the event will have on the environment, the goal of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games is ambitious(有抱負的)— to reduce the carbon footprint by half compared to previous Olympic Games. They have taken several measures to achieve their goal:
1. Sustainable Olympic village
The Olympic Village has been primarily constructed using natural materials such as wood, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint by 30%. Originally, the Olympic Village was planned without air conditioning. A cool environment would be maintained through ventilation(通風) design and cooling systems. However, due to dangerous heatwaves(熱浪), portable air conditioning units are installed to enhance the athletes’ comfort.
2. Medals
Each Olympic medal’s front face features an embedded hexagonal iron piece, sourced from iron components discarded during the restoration of the Eiffel Tower, combining sustainability, history and glory.
3. Competition venues
All competition venues for the Paris Olympics are powered by six wind farms and two solar power plants, achieving a 100% renewable energy target.
Fun Fact about the Paris Olympics
The official mascot(吉祥物) of the Paris Olympics, the Olympic Phryge, is a traditional hat that was once worn by French revolutionaries.
■Gear Up
Fill in the blanks with one word that appears in the article.
Momo’s ___________ (Hint: an adjective start with the letter ‘a’) plan to climb Mount Everest within a month requires intense training and unwavering determination.
(小學語文)
