The Olympics can be an exciting time for sports fans and those interested in learning about different regions of the world. But with 5,000 athletes and officials, 10,000 media members, 14,000 volunteers, and 2.3 million attendees expected to attend the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Games, this tradition comes with a high environmental price tag. Just how well does Vancouver 2010 rate on the eco-scale? Does it earn the 'Green Medal'? We'll let you decide...

The Vancouver Olympics Organizing Committee is well aware the environmental impact of an event of this magnitude, and has in fact planned and implemented a number of sustainability practices to help make these games greener than ever before.  Check out the top five ways the Vancouver Olympics Games is going green:

1. Sustainability Stars Program

The Sustainability Stars Program gives recognition to innovative initiatives by partners and sponsors of the Vancouver Winter Games that demonstrate positive impacts on sustainability. In order to be eligible for this title, an innovation must address at least two of three issues of sustainability: social, economic, and environmental. The initiative must also produce a measurable outcome and be directly related to the 2010 Winter Games. Which initiatives receive this distinction as a Sustainability Star is determined by a jury of government partners, external experts, and Vancouver Games Representatives. So far sixty-three initiatives have earned the title of being a Sustainability Star.

2. Carbon Offsets

The Vancouver Games Organizing Committee is the first Olympics Games to track their carbon emissions from the day of winning the Winter Olympics bid to the end of the games. The total indirect and direct carbon footprint of the winter games is estimated to be almost 270,000 tons. This large footprint is due to the transportation costs of attendees, the Torch Relay, construction, waste generated, administration, and related costs. In order to counter these very negative effects, the Vancouver Games has aimed to reduce their carbon footprint by investing in clean technology and offsetting all of their emissions through a Canadian-based company called Offsetters. Organizing officials also urge attendees to offset their emissions by buying these carbon credits.

3. Green Venues

Hosting an Olympics Games requires a massive building of infrastructure in order to house all the athletes, hold all the sporting events, and prepare the city for an influx of people. In response to all of this new construction, the Vancouver Organizing Committee has dedicated themselves to create environmentally friendly buildings equivalent to the International LEED’s silver rating or higher. Some buildings such as the Olympics Village Community Center meet LEED Platinum standards, the highest rating awarded.

4. Aboriginal Merchandising

In addition to promoting ecological sustainability, the Vancouver games is also focusing on promoting social sustainability by working together closely with the Aboriginal people in the area. The Vancouver 2010 Aboriginal Licensing and Merchandising Program is designed to promote collaboration and inclusion through the sales of products designed by Aboriginals. One third of the profit from this merchandise will go towards the Aboriginal Youth Legacy Fund which supports education, sports, and cultural initiatives for Aboriginal youth. You can view and purchase these products on the Official Merchandise site.

5. Buy Smart Program

The Vancouver games have also invested in smarter, greener, and more socially conscious buying practices called Buy Smart. The Buy Smart Program provides opportunities for inner-city residents and businesses to be more involved with the Olympic Games and also benefit economically. By hiring local workers, Aboriginals, and businesses, the Vancouver Games has been able to pay over $56 million in promoting the local economy since first receiving their bid in 2003.

Hosting a large and popular event such as the Olympics is bound to come with equally large environmental and social consequences. For example it is well known that Olympic partner Coca-Cola practices social irresponsibility by exploiting workers and depleting groundwater in India and Latin America. Despite this fact, however, Coca-Cola remains a sponsor of these ‘sustainable’ games.

While the Vancouver Organizing Committee has been working for years to help mitigate some of these negative impacts, the event can never truly be zero-impact. It is then a challenge of finding a balance between being green and celebrating a long held tradition. Check out Vancouver’s “Do Your Part” suggestions for ideas on how you can help make the Winter 2010 Olympics Games more green.

You Be The Judge

Do you think that Vancouver 2010 has done enough to make the Olympics green? Do they earn the Green Medal? Let us know what you think by dropping a comment in the box below.