238.

238 days.

238 days until the 2020 Summer Olympics.

That’s right, in case you hadn’t heard we are now just 238 days out from one of the biggest events this summer. The 2020 Olympic games will be held in Tokyo, beginning on Friday, July 24^th. The games will run from the 24^thof July and end on the 9^thof August with the final closing ceremony.

Even 238 days out talk has already begun about how the host nation will do in performing the tasks each host is expected to perform. Buildings and stadiums have been created, and others are still being made, to ensure that each event has a place to be seen.

With the creation of new stadiums and areas for visiting countries and fans to stay while attending the games, a lot of talk has had to do with the environmental impact the games have. The burdens of hosting the Olympic games are certainly numerous with increased populations for weeks, as well as the inevitable financial burdens. However, environmental concerns are often overlooked for the benefit of these traditional games. As climate change becomes even more present in the media, it is only fitting that the committees organizing the 2020 Summer Olympics be held accountable for their actions in planning the event.

It was issued just last week that the Tokyo games have earned an international sustainability certificate. This certificate was made by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), with the goal of “ensuring more consistent sustainability efforts at all stages of the Games.” It appears the organizers of the games- games that so many people look forward to every four years- are answering the questions asked of them. Now, in the preparation phase, actions are being taken to acknowledge that those in charge of putting on the spectacle and incredible display of athleticism that are the Summer Olympics are aware of how important it is to put their environment first.

Now more than ever we cannot allow opportunities for change to pass us by just because of deep-rooted tradition. If the Summer Olympics, a series of games hosted for the first time in 1896, can change, then surely there are ways we can change in our daily lives in efforts to combat climate change. Let us not take as long as it has for the Olympics to change, to change ourselves.

More information in regards to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, as well as their efforts to put on an environmentally sustainable event can be found at the official website for the Olympic Games.