Olympic Greenwash Gold

Olympic sponsors slammed in new campaign to vote for “Greenwash Gold”

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Image by jeffowenphotos

On Monday 16 of April, a coalition of environmental and human rights groups are unveiling a new website and campaign focussing on the ‘worst’ Olympic sponsors. Greenwash Gold 2012.

Three controversial Olympic sponsors, The Dow Chemical Company, BP and Rio Tinto have been made into the subject of short films made by award-winning animators that encourage the viewers to vote online for the worst corporate sponsor of the Olympics. The organisers will then be awarding the Greenwash Gold Medal during the games in July based on the results of the public voting.

Members of communities impacted by the Olympic sponsors from all over the world have come together for the launch event on the 16^th to criticise the companies, including:

• A representative from the Gulf Coast where communities are still dealing with the environmental devastation of BP’s catastrophic oil spill.
• An organiser with indigenous communities in Canada fighting BP’s controversial tar sands operations.
• A mother from Utah fighting against the life-threatening air pollution levels caused by one of the mines from which Rio Tinto is providing the metal for the Olympic metals.
• A community representative from Mongolia where another Rio Tinto mine proving medals metal is accused of exploiting scarce water resources in a desert region.
• A survivor of the Bhopal disaster who witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by Union Carbide’s horrific chemical explosion.

The launch on the 16^th is being chaired by Meredith Alexander, the ex Olympics ‘ethics tsar’ who resigned over controversies surrounding Olympic sponsorship.

Meredith Alexander, said: “The Olympics are meant to be about so much more than how fast Usain Bolt can run or how many medals Britain's finest athletes score. The modern Olympics was founded here in the UK to promote peace and understanding between the peoples of the world. The Olympic values are all about celebrating our common humanity.

But the Olympics is also big business. There is an expensive machine behind the Games that is funded by corporate sponsors. Sadly when these sponsors are selected, money talks much more loudly than values. As an ex-member of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, I know first hand just how little scrutiny is allowed when sponsors are chosen. Greenwash Gold 2012 is a chance to turn this around by letting the public vote for the least ethical sponsor.”

Jess Worth, from the UK Tar Sands Network, said, “BP has bought itself the prestigious title of London 2012 'Sustainability Partner'. But this is dangerous greenwash. BP is one of the least sustainable companies on earth, responsible for the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the extraction of highly-polluting tar sands. Its entire business is geared towards keeping the world addicted to fossil fuels and driving us towards uncontrollable climate change. And the Olympics are helping BP get away with it!"

Colin Toogood, from the Bhopal Medical Appeal said: "The Dow Chemical Company are the owners of the Union Carbide Corporation wanted, in India, on the criminal charge of culpable homicide. The Bhopal disaster site has never been cleaned up and highly toxic chemicals are now found in the drinking water of over 30,000 poor people. If we can clean up the London Olympic site in readiness for the games, why can’t Dow take responsibility for cleaning up Bhopal.”

Cherise Udell, the founder of Utah Moms for Clean Air, said, "I was delighted to learn that the 2012 Olympic committee was aiming for the greenest Olympics ever. Then I heard that Rio Tinto metal from our controversial Utah mine would be used to make the medals. In Utah, Rio Tinto are the number one emitter of toxins known to cause harm to human health. Every year, between 1000 and 2000 Utahns die prematurely due to chronic air pollution and Rio Tinto's Bingham mine is responsible for about 30% of this.”