When I long for Vancouver, I imagine people jogging on the beach in shorts, kids playing in the sand, sunbathers – with clothes optional, snow capped mountains surrounding an incredible skyline, and a city park with 100 foot trees and Haida totem poles. I also see water taxis; people walking to work and harbors dotted with sailboats. I imagine ½ day Fridays, as people leave work early to hike, ski, bike, or explore nature. Vancouver is Canada’s answer to the US west coasts’ laid back mentality, which comes with a desire and a push to be more progressive and more environmentally conscious then their neighbors to the east. British Columbia is the first place in North America to put in place a consumer based Carbon Tax, on which the verdict is still out!
It seems natural then, that Vancouver would take to heart the idea of a first ever “Carbon Neutral Olympic Games.” With just a few weeks to go before the Vancouver opening ceremonies, the next few Climate Mama News reports will be on steps Vancouver is taking to make these Games Carbon Neutral. We will look at how “user friendly” it will be for a visitor to the Olympics to be “carbon neutral”; options in place for offsetting a visitors carbon footprint, and just how visible the host city’s commitment to environmental sustainability really is.
To get us started, please enjoy this “different look” at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, through the eyes of the games “sustainability” program. 
