Be green, don't just 'talk' it
I've reported on a few major sports events using a push bike as my main form of transport; the , the world athletics championships in Helsinki (despite the rain) and the World Cup finals in Germany, where I regularly cycled to the main stadium in Berlin.
It was a fantastic way of getting to know the cities, of feeling the atmosphere around the venues and simply of having the freedom to leave a stadium or a team hotel when I wanted to, rather than waiting for a taxi or a bus. And I always beat most of my colleagues back to the hotel bar at the end of a long day!
So I don't think it is such a strange idea for London 2012 to suggest that up to 4,500 spectators could use bikes to go to the Olympics every day.
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I hope the promised are created to make it happen and the stands for 5,000 bikes are put in place near the Olympic Park.
There are plenty of doubters among London's cycling community about that. One cycling campaigner suggested to me that the "Olympic Family" (International Olympic Committee members, officials and sponsors) should give cycling a go, too, in 2012.
This is not such a ridiculous suggestion even though I think it might need the to think a bit more creatively.
Of course, there are plenty of Olympic VIPS who can't use public transport or a bike because of security issues. Some are millionaires or royalty who need bodyguards with them all of the time and it is silly to suggest they could jump on a bike.
The daily schedules of some members are such that it would be impractical to use a bike all of the time.
But how about IOC members and their spouses leaving their cars at the hotel now and again and travelling around like all of the spectators? In that way they would really get a feel for how the Games are working for them.
London could set a trend for future Games - not just talking but acting it too.
The IOC keeps telling us how many former athletes they have in their ranks. Surely they are still fit enough to get on a bike now and again?
And those VIPS should also realise that cycling or trains are probably going to be quicker than heading down Olympic lanes on the Embankment along the Thames at 6.30 pm when the roads will be packed.
At the , I travelled every day from the city centre to the Olympic Park on public trains. It was a wonderful experience, feeling the buzz of spectators in a carriage rather than sitting on a bus with a bunch of journalists.
Nothing against my colleagues, but we're on our way to work on those coaches and our minds are full of the job ahead.
In the Sydney trains, the air was full of fun and enthusiasm.
Maybe it is time for more people in the "Family" to feel the real Olympic spirit.
I'm Ö÷²¥´óÐã London's Olympics Correspondent, which means I report on every aspect of the preparations for 2012. I'm going to be telling you what people are saying about London's preparations - both in the Olympic corridors of power and on the streets of the capital - and I want to hear your views.
Comment number 1.
At 24th Apr 2009, kwikscull wrote:I notice Mr. Warner hasn't been on Ö÷²¥´óÐã London TV, or written anything about the latest visit fromm the IOC and the comments from Denis Oswald that this is the best preperation he has seen for an Olympics at this stage.
Is this beacuse Mr. Warner this is a POSITIVE 2012 story, far be it for you in any way to show any balance. No doubt when the next negative story comes out you'll be on it like a rash.
I've said before, so far all your stories have been valid and we need to have the press keeping track of costs and legacy, however the reporting from Mr. Warner on Ö÷²¥´óÐã London is ALL negative.
Come on Ö÷²¥´óÐã London, a lot of good will come from 2012 and we will organise a great games.
SHOW SOME BALANCE
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Comment number 2.
At 9th May 2009, Adrian Warner wrote:Kwikscull, you have ever right to express your opinion but I'm afraid you simply haven't got your facts right.
Ö÷²¥´óÐã London covered the visit by the IOC's coordination commission in great detail during the week starting April 20th.
I was live at the Olympic site for our 6.30 programme on both the Tuesday evening (April 21) and the Thursday evening (April 23) of the three-day visit. My reporting included a live discussion with our senior presenter about the visit and detailed two-minute reports which covered the events of the day, including comments made by the IOC.
In fact I was one of just three reporters from British TV who was in the main stadium when the IOC contingent visited it. Most of the rest of the reporters were from the international media.
The reporting wasn't cheerleading for 2012. That is not my job. It included serious analysis of the state of London's preparations and analysis of how much progress Londoners also felt about 2012's progress.
I've covered many positive aspect of the Games. Ask London 2012.
I am sorry if you haven't been around to watch them. I can only request that you watch our programme more regularly before you pass judgement on my work.
best wishes.
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Comment number 3.
At 9th Jun 2009, kwikscull wrote:Mr. Warner, I was not questioning your work or indeed it validity. I do question that virtually all your reporting has such a negative spin. I would not disagree that every story you have done is valid, and the costs in paticular need to be scrutinised closely.
However, it cannot have escapes your notice that I am not the only person who has commented on your negative spin. Please do not accuse me of not reading your blogs, or viweing Ö÷²¥´óÐã London news, I watch the programme most weekday evenings (and I mean at least 4 out 5) and have read a number of your blogs, how much more often would you like me to watch? I suggest that you consider your statments as to how much of your work I see and read before putting statements like that online.
Perhaps you could point me to a positive story you've done? I do remember you saying in one report the stadium build was racing ahead. I notice your recent blog on the goverment providing funding for the athletes village has one comment (as I write this) and that agrees with me of your negative reporting.
As I have said before, on your blogs and in a letter to the Ö÷²¥´óÐã, all of your stories are valid and should be reported. I have no problem with the content of every report you have made, and I have read or seen, many have been very well researched, for which you deserve credit. However, the majority are negative and "down" on the London Olympics.
Working as I do at the grassroots of sport in London I see daily the inspiration the games bring to people, both young and old and how many people are now particpating in sport through schemes linked to 2012. There is SO MUCH good stuff happening. Go and find and report it.
Keep up the investigative work on the costs and the legacy in paticular, but show the good side too. It is there in spades, and not hard to find.
If you would like to contact me, the Ö÷²¥´óÐã has my email through signing up for these chat boards, I would be happy for you to contact me and we could go and see some of the good stuff happening linked to 2012. The offer is there.
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Comment number 4.
At 14th Jun 2009, lijuan wrote:I appreciate Adrian Warner's attitude.
Lookers-on see most of the game, as a citizen of Beijing, It's
s extravagant hopes to hear and give negative opinion on 2008 olympic games. Goverment said 2008 Olympic games is Green ,but stiil there are more than 105 families sufferring from the pollution caused by Olympic Games.even more and more, This is why I come here to look after help and show how important the Real green is than empty slogan.When you hear my story undermentioned, you may understand that reporting negative opinion may safeguarding your right.
In 2008, Qibei roads of Changping district of Beijing was decided to be the route of the Olympic torch relay. For finishing the reconstructing and serving the Olympic Games as soon as possible, the construction of this road was carried out without any environmental protective measures.
Half a year later, the problem of road subsides and traffic noise was getting worse continually, which meant that more than 100 families who lived in roadside became victims. They cant sleep because of more than 80 dbs noise twice than national restricted regulations daily , and even more night since road rebuilding. Moreover, the defect of the road caused frequent traffic accidents, and many people got wounded by vehicle.
Lots of relevant governmental departments had received the responsibility requirements by CLAPV. But all of them thought the other different department should be responsible for solving this problem instead of themselves.
The true reason is The Olympic Games has already closed. We will not spend any more money on Green Olympic slogan, even the money has been to add a traffic light at the road crossing, the above statement is from An governmental officer.
During a long time in China, environmental protection is ignored and been very difficult, strange things happened during the Olympic Games opening ceremony, much pollution has been controlled effectively. However, it is the post Olympics era now, even in the name of Green Olympic Games, environmental protection is still hardly to implement", A member of CLAPV says. Our legal assistance to pollution victims seems so helpless,
The victims of 105 families campaign is still everlasting and despairing, its hardly to win unless famous medias report recall the senior government officials attention to Green Olympic.
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Comment number 5.
At 15th Jun 2009, kwikscull wrote:Lijuan, you are correct that all the negative stories must be reported, I actually wrote that in my last post. In my opinion every one of Adrain Warner's reports have been valid and should be reported. In many cases he has clearly worked very hard to get the facts spot on. For that he does deserve great credit.
My issue is balance, whilst there are negative aspects to the 2012 Games there is a lot of good that is already coming from it. The positives should be reported too.
I'm sure that some good things came from your city hosting the 2008 Games, but as you rightly say the negatives should be reported and the organsiers held to account.
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