The 2016 Olympic Games could be one of the last for mankind warned Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara last night because of the parlous state of the environment.
The 2016 Olympic Games could be one of the last for mankind warned Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara last night because of the parlous state of the environment.
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Ishihara, who was celebrating his 77th birthday, is the president of the Tokyo bid to win the right to host the 2016 Games which will be voted on by the 100-plus International Olympic Committee (IOC) members here tomorrow.
"I think this (2016 Games) could be the last for mankind," he said at a reception for the bid, though, his opinion will come as a shock to his fellow bid members who have been speaking of leaving a legacy that will last for at least the rest of the century should they host the Games.
Ishihara added: "We must come up with measures without which the Olympics cannot last long. Tokyo is prepared to do everything to create the best conditions for the athletes environmentally speaking. But if things are left unattended the Olympics will not last long. I want people to make choices with consideration for the environment. Global warming is getting worse. Scientists say Earth has passed the point of no return.
Ishihara said he was given a wake up call about the environment when he attended a speech given by professor Stephen Hawking some years ago.
"I asked him how long is instance of time in the universe from time on earth. He responded a 100 years. That was 35 years ago which gives you an indication of how long we have left."
Tokyo is competing against Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, and Madrid to host the 2016 Games.
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