Olympics: Green Speed-Skating Rink Is Golden

The Richmond Olympic Oval, the arena for speed-skating at the Vancouver Olympics, is getting a thumbs up from athletes for its environmentally conscious design and its beauty, Reuters reports. The roof was made from pine beetle-infested wood, shaped into a wave form for a striking aesthetic effect. The benches in the dressing rooms were made from the wood that was cleared in order to build the arena. Rainwater running off the roof is collected in a pond for irrigation and toilet flushing. The facility's refrigeration plant also uses a waste heat recovery system to heat the building, which itself will be recycled after the Games as an exercise center and sports arena.

–Aileen Torres