Organizers of next summer's London Olympic Games are drawing criticism for the alleged use of old-growth eucalyptus for sport flooring in a practice facility that will be rented by the U.S. basketball team during the event, according to a report from Markets For Change, an Australian environmental NGO.
London Olympics Draws Fire For Old-Growth Eucalyptus Use
"As a proud Londoner, I'm shocked that ancient forests crucial for conserving the world's tallest flowering plants, the largest hardwood trees in the world, and many endangered animals are being used for flooring in London's Olympics," Greenpeace's Executive Director John Sauven told The Independent.
The court and facility in which the court is housed is not actually being constructed by Olympic Games organizers but by the University of East London. A spokesman for the university told The Independent that, had it been aware of concerns over the eucalyptus wood, "it would have been considered. But hindsight is a great thing."
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