2014 Olympics relocated to protect environment

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has given in to pressure from campaigners, to move some of the venues for the 2014 Winter Olympics for environmental reasons.

The proposed sites for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, aroused controversy after it was revealed that ski-slopes and bob sleigh runs would border a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The national park that the ski-slope bordered is home to over 100 endangered species, and is one of the few remaining eco-systems in the world that has been left untouched by human activity.

Campaigners who opposed the Olympics being sited next to the park were backed by the UN Environment Programme, who recommended a relocation of the proposed sites.

Environmental groups have welcomed Putin’s announcement that the sites will be moved, and are encouraged as Russia seems to finally be taking environmental sustainability seriously.