Russia Winter Olympics threat to Black Sea enviroment
source: http://www.wiserearth.org/resource/view/8da4c4534819973c48edb3a7c6e5210d/new/1/group/WorldWa...
Georgia fears that in the course of the illegal extraction of inert materials the unique and fragile environment of the subtropical Black Sea coastal zone immediately south to the Georgian-Russian border will suffer a heavy and irreparable damage. This will include beaches, mountains, rivers, lakes and valleys as well as the picturesque flora and fauna of northwestern Georgia. Erosion of the coastal area and the riverbanks will be one of the many dire consequences. Addressing the Summit on Climate Change at Copenhagen on December 18, 2009, President Saakashvili said: “Olympic Games must serve peace and human aspirations, though it has become the reason for destroying the nature. The process of erosion resulted in climate changes and landslides, the results of which are already felt” (official website of President of Georgia, December 18, 2009, http://www.president.gov.ge/?l=E&m=0&sm=3&st=0&id=3128). It was the first time the Georgian leader brought up the issue of the Sochi Olympics at an international forum.
