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ou would expect with a budget of 51 billion dollars that this might be one of the most sustainable Olympic games and would be greatly talked about. However, yet again this has not been the case. Also among some of the big sponsoring brands are these 8 very popular brands: Coca-Cola, Dow Chemical, General Electric, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Visa, Panasonic and Samsung. Only one of these brands decided to put on a great performance on one of the world’s biggest stage. Dow is shining bright but without a spotlight as its grand initiative has yet to really be advertised or published.
According to the article (found below) written by The Guardian, “The US chemical giant Dow has pledged to offset the Sochi organizing committee’s entire carbon footprint which also includes all greenhouse gas emissions from operating the games’ venues. They will also be offsetting travel and lodging for all athletes, staff and volunteers as well as the carbon footprint of all spectators and media attending the games.” This carbon footprint is estimated to be approximately 520,000 tones. Offsetting such a footprint would be equivalent to removing 102,000 cars off the roads or neutralizing the annual emissions associated with 10,800 homes.
Dow is expected to be able to accomplish this feat through many various company initiatives worldwide. Some of these initiatives includes infrastructure improvements, new farming methods as well as capturing and recycling methane gas from a dump in Georgia in the US. This surprising feat is a first for all Olympics and hopefully not the last.
You would think with climate change and with degrading conditions of winter recreational fields worldwide that sustainability would play a great role in hosting and executing the winter Olympics. Yet there is very little to any signs of this being the case. Olympic games are suppose to be motivational and inspiring and great sustainable feats are made to be place in the same picture frame. Dow should be acknowledge of their feat and inspiring other large corporations to follow in their footsteps to make all the following games the best possible in all aspects.
To me it is somewhat disappointing that many big brands as well the Russian Nation failed to appropriately perform at these games and try to avoid warmer winters tomorrow and ensuring that this is not the last winter Olympics ever.