A Remarkable Torch Starts The Olympics Opening Ceremony

Olympic Spotlight

Credit: Nic Lehoux

2010 Olympics Begin: Vancouver Convention Center

Credit: Damian Wohrer

The Olympics: Vancouver Sets the Green Stage

Credit: David Godin

Vancouver Gathers At Robson Sq

Credit: SAL

Vancouver City Councilor Suzanne Anton on Eco-Density

According to D'Errico: I am glad that the Olympics were being held in Vancouver and that the people involved are all about giving honor to the host country. To be honest, I realized I didn't know that much about Canada, be it the land or the people. Starting off, the aboriginal people of Canada were paid homage to through dances in what I believe were ceremonial style garb. The tall ice-like sculptures that morphed into various objects, from totem poles to trees, were pretty cool. And then the Olympians from each country came marching in, which, in terms of fashion, was by far the most memorable part. Based off the responses on Twitter, everyone's favorite were the brightly colored paisley pants of the Azerbaijani Olympians. When Georgia, of the former Soviet Union, came through there was of course a memorial to the fallen luge Olympian. Continuing on through the evening, there were spectacular scenes using projector images from above. The people escaping on the drifting icebergs were actually quite realistic. My favorite was the spouting whales. Promoting unity among the world and giving honor to the host country is not the only great thing about these winter Olympics. They also show that they are promoting a better earth by utilizing sustainable resources. With the environmental issues facing us today, that is extremely important.

According to the Hindustan Times, the Olympic Torches go greener with recycled materials and less fuel:

• The Vancouver 2010 Olympic torches were built by train and plane manufacturer Bombardier, with ninety-five per cent of the materials sourced locally from within Canada.
• Bombardier included recyclable components as much as possible; i.e., the steel that makes up the torch's interior and the aluminum that makes up its exterior shell.
• Bombardier selected a mixture of propane and isobutane, which both burn in cold temperatures, to fuel the flame that provides a visible flame in daylight, and emits 30 percent fewer greenhouse gases than traditionally-used oil-based fuels.
• By designing the flame to burn from the side of the torch instead of from the top, they were able to reduce the carbon emissions impact of the torch as well. “The side-flame design creates a longer flame effect and, consequently, when compared to an equivalent flame-height basis, usually consumes less energy than does a vertical flame design,” said Bruno Comtois, lead project engineer for the 2010 Olympic Torch.
• After the 2010 Olympics Torch Relay, the aluminum from the torches' cylinders and the remaining fuel were recycled.