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Vancouver 2010 Olympic light show extravaganza: is it appropriate for a green city?
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The city of Vancouver sent out a media release today announcing an impressive extravaganza light show, called Vectorial Elevation, to light up Vancouver nights during 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Starting at dusk on February 4, 2010, twenty robotic searchlights will create a light show called Vectorial Elevation in the night sky above and on the surface of English Bay with designs created by people around the world and delivered via the Internet. The 10,000-watt lights will create patterns from locations in Vanier Park and Sunset Beach over an area of 100,000 square metres to be seen within 15 kilometres of the city’s downtown core. The event runs until February 28, 2010. A real-time video stream of the work from four cameras around English Bay will be able to be accessed on the Internet.
“ When I saw English Bay I knew it would be the perfect spot to create our largest canopy of light to date and for the first time we are also able to use renewable energy,” said the creator Montreal-based artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.
Renewable Energy
Now there’s that “green buzzword” again – renewable energy! For those who may have misplaced their environmentally friendly dictionary, renewable energy includes electricity from wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, tidal power and micro-hydro, but not large hydroelectric dam power. (As referenced from the David Suzuki Foundation report, Running on Empty.) Non-renewable energy, in contrast, is from sources such as coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear.
Much of BC's electricity has come from large hydro-electric dams and reservoirs which historically have had devastating impacts on landscapes, wildlife, river ecosystems and human communities, often Aboriginals.
One would think that extravagant use of any energy (renewable or non-renewable) - even for light shows - in these times is a no-no. It all seems a bit confusing, when consumers are being asked to be Power Smart by BC Hydro.
The recent power blackouts in Brazil - a country coincidentally soon to host an Olympics - may be a global energy wake-up call.
Environmental questions
A number of questions were not answered in the sparkling city of Vancouver “light-show” media release. What type of renewable energy is being used? Will this show be shining lights dusk to dawn? How much extra renewable energy will be used for this Feb 4 – 28 time period? Is this "clean" renewable energy? What is the cost to host this Olympic light show? How does this light show fit in with Vancouver's Green City Plan?
One hates to be an “Olympic party pooper,” but the organizers of this event should be able to address these questions! Maybe readers of this article might also want answers from the city of Vancouver at 604-871-6336 or Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee at janet_miller@vancouver2010.com .
A letter to the Vancouver Sun newspaper calls this "light show pollution! " For more information, read about 2010 Olympic environmental challenges.
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