I am the part of the Green Olympics

Beijing High School
-----Xia Weiyi

Ladies and gentlemen:
good morning!
Today, my speech is "I am the part of the Green Olympics".
"Green Olympics" is one of the Three Themes of Beijing2008Olympic Games. Therefore the Beijing government had made a great effort in order to protect the environment, build more "Green project", keep the ecological balance, push the recycling economy, and protect the water resource. But if only the government take the action to realize the Green Olympics in2008, it"s not enough. As a Beijing high school student, we should play an active role in the actions aimed at the realization of Green Olympics. So we should start it from ourselves, our family, our friends and other people around us.
In2001, in the Moscow world trade center, when the former chairman of the International Olympic Committee, Samaranch had said: "Beijing, China!" As a Beijing citizen, as a Chinese, I had a great joy for my city, for my home country from the bottom of my heart! But after the excitement that Beijing had been succeed in the race to host the Olympic Game in2008. I started to worry about the dusty air, the sandstorm, the polluted rivers and lakes; the streets without any green and whether we could successfully host the Olympic Games in2008.
Four years later, today, we can see229day blue sky in one year, we can hardly catch a glimpse of the sandstorm, groups of wild duck comes back to Shishahai Lake in the spring, and all the streets are dressed in green. All these make me deeply believe that Beijing will surely succeed in2008! And all these achievements are not only the result that made by the Beijing government, but also by the14millions Beijing citizens. As one of the14millions normal citizens, I am also adding my contribution to our Green Olympic!
I used to have a habit, which is to take two longtime showers every day. It was a big waste of water. One day, I saw a piece of news in Beijing Daily that about the lack of the Beijing water resource. It"s said every year Beijing use up about billions cubic meter of water. But Miyun reservoir only contains billions cubic meter of water, and Guanting reservoir only contains billion cubic meter of water. This shows we are really short of water now! After reading this news, I start to change my habit, and only take one quick shower each day. I have calculated that if everyone economizes one cubic meter of water during they are taking the shower in a month; the Beijing citizens will economize14million cubic meter of water in only one month! In2004, as the Beijing Irrigation Apartment reported that since2001Beijing has succeeded in the application of hosting the Olympic game in2008. Beijing government had started26programs in order to economize the water resource. After3years doing this, these programs have saved billions cubic meter of water. It"s as big as a four-sized Huairou reservoir! And now, in my daily life, in my family, we always think about protecting the environment and saving the resource whenever we doing what. The batteries, the aged newspapers, the empty glass bottles and all the recyclable garbage, we will classify them then put them in different trash cans; we make the most use of the nature light and shut off the electrical light conveniently; and when we shopping, we will bring a nylon bag with us instead of plastic bags; during the feast, I do not send any card in order to protect the forest resource; after washing the clothes, we won"t dump the used water but use it to flash the toilet… All in all, we should start from every little thing around us to truly realize the "Green Olympic".
I still remember clearly that in the Athens2004Olympic Games, when Liu Xiang stood up on the award platform, he was wearing a coronet, which made by olive branch. Does this green olive branch stand for the "Green Olympic"? Olive branch is the symbol of peace, and the Olympic Game is the carrier of the "peace". We should not just simply think, "No war is the meaning of peace". "Nature and human beings living in harmony" is also the root meaning of "peace". "Save the resource, protect the environment", this kind action of pursuing "Nature and human beings living in harmony", is the way that shows the core of the Olympian spirit. So we say, peace is the spirit of Olympic, Olympic is the carrier of peace, and "Green Olympic" means that we are standing in a higher platform to seek the peace.
So the "Green Olympic" should be started from every little things in our daily life, start form me, from the people that around me. Express the spirit of Olympic, publicize the theme of "Green Olympic", and let Beijing really reaches the "Green Olympic" in2008. This is the responsibility of anyone who loves peace. And it is also the responsibility of our Beijing high school students!
Thank you!
　September11,2005, in Beijing

绿色奥运我参与
北京八十中学
--夏威夷

尊敬的各位评委们、女士们、先生们：
大家好！今天我演讲的题目是"绿色奥运我参与"。
绿色奥运是北京2008年奥运会的三大理念之一。为此北京市政府无论是在环境的治理、绿化的建设、生态的保护、循环经济和水资源的保护与利用，都做了大量的工作。但实现"绿色奥运"仅仅靠政府行为是远远不够的，作为北京的中学生更应该积极的投身到"绿色奥运"的建设与宣传当中去。从我做起，从我的家庭做起，从我身边的朋友、同学做起。
2001年，当前国际奥委会主席萨马兰奇在莫斯科高声宣读："Beijing， China"的时候，作为一个北京人，一个中国人，我发自心底的为我们的祖国，我们的首都感到高兴。但在高兴之余，那灰蒙蒙的天空，那漫天的沙尘暴，那污绿的护城河，那见不到一丝绿色的街道，又使我深为北京能否在2008年成功办好奥运而感到担心。
四年之后的今天，一年之中有了229天湛蓝的天空，那滚滚的黄尘也早已不见，那一群群久违的野鸭也在春天飞回了北京的什刹海，街道也被绿色装点的生机勃勃。这一切不知不觉的变化都在回答着我，北京一定能办好2008年的奥运！而所有这些变化不仅仅是北京市政府的努力，更是在政府领导下的无数北京市民们努力的结果。作为这一千多万普通北京市民的一员，我也在为我们的绿色奥运贡献出自己的一份力量。
以前我曾有个习惯，每天早晚冲澡两次，而且冲洗时间特别长，很浪费水。一天，我在北京日报上看到了一则关于北京水资源短缺的文章，说北京市每年用水量大概是37亿立方米，而密云水库的蓄水量仅有亿立方米，官厅水库的蓄水量仅有亿立方米，水资源的供需矛盾十分尖锐。看到这则报道后，我开始改变我的习惯，每天只洗一次澡，尽量在很短的时间内洗完。我算了一笔帐，每人每月洗澡节约一吨水，北京市1400万人口将节约1400万吨水。据北京市水利局2003年统计数字表明，从2001年申办奥运成功后，开始实施市政府制定的26项节水措施，3年来节水达到亿立方米，相当于4个怀柔水库。现在，在我的生活中，在我的家庭里，环保、节约的思想和行为时常都有体现。电池、报纸、玻璃瓶、油壶等可回收物，我们是分别处理、存放；购物、买菜的口袋使用尼龙口袋，基本不使用塑料袋；洗衣的水重复使用于冲洗马桶……而实现绿色奥运也正是应该从身边的这些小事做起。
我们清楚的记得在2004年的雅典奥运会上，当刘翔登上领奖台时，他头上戴了一个由橄榄枝编成的头环。这绿色的橄榄枝不正是代表着"绿色奥运"吗？橄榄枝象征着和平，而奥运正是传递"和平"的载体，我们不能简单的理解"没有战争就是和平"。"人与自然和谐相处"也是"和平"最本质的含义。"节约资源、保护环境"这种追求"人与自然和谐相处"的具体行为正是奥林匹克精神的具体体现。所以我们说：和平是奥运的灵魂，奥运是和平的载体，绿色奥运是我们从更高的境界在追求和平。当伟大的精神被"平凡"广泛的具体化以后，这种精神就被弘扬和光大了。
看来"绿色奥运"应该从点滴做起，从我做起，从我周边的人做起。弘扬奥林匹克精神，宣传绿色奥运理念，让2008北京奥运真正做到"绿色奥运"。这正是每一个爱好和平、追求和平人们的义不容辞的责任。也是我们北京中学生的一种思想境界和追求。
我的演讲结束，谢谢大家！