1.Green Olympics Eyed for Year 2008
2.Equestrians Head to Hong Kong Pastures
3.Green Map Shows Environment-Friendly Face of Beijing
1. Green Olympics Eyed for Year 2008
Business leaders, industry insiders and government officials flocked to Beijing brought together by two words: "Green Olympics".
More than 30 enterprises, half from abroad, met to discuss clean technology, renewable and recyclable materials and the huge market sparked by the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Companies present included BASF, NatureWorks, Unitika, Mitsubishi Chemical and Mitsui Chemical.
Co-organized by the Science and Technology Committee for the 29th Olympic Games and the 2008 Project Office, the Exhibition on Green Materials & Green Olympics is the first of its kind in China.
"The exhibition is a platform for exchange between green materials researchers and merchants working on projects for the Games," said Fan Boyuan, deputy mayor of Beijing.
Bidding for the Games' major projects has been completed, and it is now time to purchase materials, facilities and technology, Fan said.
The main buildings, temporary facilities, sites and affiliated services are all required to use green materials, one of Beijing's commitments to the Games, he added.
"We are all very excited about the chosen theme of green materials... It is our hope that green materials and processes will be adopted as fully as possible at the coming Games," said Peter Clydesdale, commercial director of the Cargill Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd.
Dirk Starke, a marketing and sales manager from Germany-based BASF, a chemical company, is working with its business partner in China, Tian'an Biologics, to promote biodegradable polymers.
(Source: China Daily 06/15/2005)
2. Equestrians Head to Hong Kong Pastures
City officials were ecstatic with news that the special administrative region will host the Olympic equestrian events, saying the decision will be a boon to local economic activity and the development of elite sports in Hong Kong.
Community vitality will also be enhanced, said Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Ho Chi-ping on Friday, adding that it is an honor for Hong Kong and its citizens to host the event.
He made his remarks after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided on Friday to move the event to the territory from Beijing at a meeting in Singapore, in response to the Beijing Olympic Committee's April suggestion that the equestrian events be moved to Hong Kong in fear of equine disease on the mainland.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang echoed the view that the decision is a great distinction for Hong Kong to share in the glory of hosting the Olympic Games for the first time in China.
Ho stressed that the events will attract tens of thousands of people to Hong Kong, including tourists, spectators, athletes and journalists, culminating in tourist revenues of up to HK$300 million.
A government spokesman promised that Hong Kong will provide the best support services and venues for participating athletes and horses. According to him, the Sports Institute and Penfold Park in Sha Tin will be the main venues for staging the Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events. Meanwhile, the Jockey Club's Beas River Country Club and Golf Club in Fanling will be used for cross-country races.
Ho said the Sports Institute will be turned into a main venue for the events, with veterinary services to be provided by the Jockey Club.
"The Sports Institute and Penfold Park will house 230 additional stables, a competition arena with 20,000 seats and support facilities such as training and warm-up arenas, plus a media centre," he said.
(Source: China Daily 07/09/2005)
3. Green Map Shows Environment-Friendly Face of Beijing
Around 8,000 citizens will participate in the making of “Green Map of Beijing”, China’s first ever visual guide on environmental, ecological and cultural landscapes of the country’s capital city.
On May 27, 2005, Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau (BJEPB) and the BOCOG Environmental Activity Department jointly launched the map-marking campaign.
Students, taxi drivers, government employees, tourists and Beijing residents from all walks of life are invited to mark environmental facilities, cultural relics and historical sites around the central area of Beijing on the map.
The map will use a whole set of unique visual marks to locate all natural and cultural sites of interest and social welfare facilities in Beijing city. Through the marking of natural, cultural, ecological and environmental landmarks of the city, the map will depict the latest progress that Beijing has made in pollution control, ecological conservancy, transport infrastructure development, Olympic venue construction and cultural facilities.
In early September, the participants will return the completed maps to the organizers, who will then sort out and put together the information to compose an official “Green Map of Beijing” by November. The “Green Map” is designed to show the general conditions of the progress that Beijing made in environmental protection, cultural development and Olympic construction projects.
Beijing authorities will then print and distribute 50,000 free copies of the “Green Map” to all participants and tourists by the end of this year. The organizers will also disseminate the map through other channels such as gifts, retails and the Internet.
An official from the BOCOG Environmental Activity Department said the map marking campaign will be held every year. The activity is aimed to draw broad participation of the general public and advance idea of “Green Olympics” and knowledge of environment protection, she said.
(Source: www.Chinabidding.com)