Is It enough to have 'green' Common Wealth Games 2010?

摘要

India hosted the XIX Common Wealth Games (CWG) 2010, in New Delhi, for the first time. It is only the second time that these games have been organized in Asia. A distinctive feature of the CWG 2010 was the emphasis of the organizers on environment; they wanted these games to be remembered not only as a sporting spectacle but also as the first-ever 'green games'. The most significant green initiative undertaken by the Organizing Committee of CWG 2010 was to minimize the carbon footprint of the games through implementation of effective carbon emission mitigation, reduction and offset techniques. To add 'green' feather, biodiversity was enhanced in and around the games village through innovative landscaping. However, vigilant ecological monitoring is required to prevent deliberate and/or inadvertent introduction of invasive alien species (IAS) that complicate the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity worldwide1. In fact, during the Beijing Olympic Games 2008, extensive efforts were madeto improve the urban landscape through the introduction of alien plants; and across Beijing city, 60,400 kg seeds of assorted species and 31,430,000 woody seedlings were imported from other countries during 2002-2004 (ref. 2). A notable ecological fallout was the co-introduction of an insect pest (Opogona sacchari) with the Palmillo plant {Dracaena fragrans Ker Gawl.), an ornamental species native to South America which was intentionally introduced for the purpose of landscaping. The insect pest, lateron, invaded 15 provinces of the country, infesting about 50 ornamental and crop plant species3. India has also imported alien species of orchids from Thailand and palms such as the Mexican Dioon (Dioon spinulosum Dyer) for the landscaping in and aroundDelhi International Airport (http://www.indembassy. org.peews%20mcw.pdf). Reportedly 'as many as 39 varieties of trees, 26 kinds of plants, 39 types of ground covers and 6 types of cacti and succulents will blend with 30,000 sq. mt of lush green lawnsalong the terminal and its causeways'.