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London vying for ‘greenest Games’ title

There is no question that the Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games are the greenest Games yet with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings and venues, hydrogen buses in Whistler, the use of sewage waste to heat the

There is no question that the Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games are the greenest Games yet with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings and venues, hydrogen buses in Whistler, the use of sewage waste to heat the Whistler athletes' village, massive carbon credit purchases and more.

But if the London 2012 Summer Games organizers have their way it's not a title that Vancouver and Whistler will hold for long.

With the construction of venues already underway the London Organizing Committee is pledging to make the 2012 Games the greenest yet, according to Inhabitat.com.

London's green efforts include:

• Rainwater collections systems to reduce the use of treated, potable water at venues.

• Builders are aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of the Games by 50 per cent, while sourcing 25 per cent of building materials through recycling.

• Roughly 90 per cent of construction and demolition waste is being recycled.

• Wood products used at venues are from verified sustainable sources.

• Public transportation is being increased throughout London.

• All energy used will be from renewable sources.

There is a cost to these green innovations, but it's unknown what that cost will be. To date, the estimated budget for the Games has increased from $3.5 billion U.S. to roughly $14 billion.