TOKYO: Tokyo Olympics’ organizers have discarded $45,508 worth of surgical masks, gowns, and disinfectant after the Games and left much of that medical equipment unused, media said on Tuesday.
The Games were held practically with no fans amid the pandemic.
The Asahi daily quoted an organizing committee official as saying 33,000 masks, 3,420 gowns and 380 bottles of disinfectant were discarded when they closed down operations at some of the venues used for the Olympics, which ran from July 23 to Aug. 8.
The revelation was embarrassing for organizers as they have long pitched Tokyo 2020 as a sustainable Games. They came under fire last month for ordering too much food for their staff during the opening ceremony, leading to a massive waste of food.
“When we withdrew from the venues, there was no place to store unused consumables,” the Asahi quoted Tokyo 2020 executive director of operations Satoshi Yamashita as saying.
“We are sorry we ended up discarding them even though we had known there was going to be surplus.”
Tokyo organizers said in a statement some of the medical consumables left after the Games were discarded, without specifying their amount or value. Officials at the organizing committee were not immediately available to comment.
With the Paralympics underway until Sunday, the organizers plan to hold onto unused consumables from now on for possible donation, the Asahi said.
Olympics-Tokyo organizers discard $45,500 worth of medical gear -media
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Olympics-Tokyo organizers discard $45,500 worth of medical gear -media
- Asahi daily quoted an official as saying 33,000 masks, 3,420 gowns and 380 bottles of disinfectant were discarded
- The revelation embarrassed organisers as they’ve long pitched Tokyo 2020 as sustainable Games
6 planets will parade across the night sky at the end of February
NEW YORK: Six planets are linking up in the sky at the end of February, and most will be visible to the naked eye.
It’s what’s known as a planetary parade, which happens when multiple planets appear to line up in the sky at once. The planets aren’t in a straight line, but are close together on one side of the sun.
Skygazers can usually spot two or three planets after sunset, according to NASA. Hangouts of four or five that can be glimpsed with the naked eye are less common and occur every few years. Last year featured lineups of six and all seven planets.
When will they be visible?
On Saturday, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye if clear skies allow. Uranus and Neptune can only be spotted with binoculars and telescopes.
What time is optimal for viewing?
Go outside about an hour after sunset and venture away from tall buildings and trees that will block the view. Look to the western sky and spot Mercury, Venus and Saturn close to the horizon. Jupiter will be higher up, along with Uranus and Neptune.
How to know if you’ve spied a member of the parade?
“If it’s twinkling, it’s a star. If it is not twinkling, it’s a planet,” said planetary scientist Sara Mazrouei with Humber Polytechnic in Canada.
The parade should be visible over the weekend and in the days after. Eventually, Mercury will bow out and dip below the horizon.
At least one bright planet is visible on most nights, according to NASA.
Glimpsing many in the sky at once is a fun way to connect with astronomers of centuries’ past, said planetary scientist Emily Elizondo with Michigan State University.
Ancient astronomers used to make sense of the universe “just by looking up at the stars and the planets,” Elizondo said, “which is something that we can do today.”
