Warming could end Olympics in 2016, says Tokyo governor

As nations jockey to host the coveted 2016 Olympics - most visibly with President Obama's sales pitch on the prospect of a Chicago setting - Tokyo's governor sought to connect global interest in the games with the macro ecological issue of global warming, saying that the 2016 Olympics could be humanity's last. Tokyo, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, and Madrid are all competing for the 2016 games, and the winning city is expected to be chosen on Friday by the International Olympic Committee. The competition between Chicago and Rio de Janeiro also drew on issues of global trade, as President Obama strove to push Rio de Janeiro out over Brazil's decision to buy French jets. But the connection between the global warming question and the Olympic games was particularly unique. "It could be that the 2016 Games are the last Olympics in the history of mankind," Ishihara said. "Global warming is getting worse. We have to come up with measures without which Olympic Games could not last long." It was unclear if the Tokyo governor was attempting to differentiate between Tokyo and other seemingly environmentally dirty cities. Tokyo's pitch centered on Olympic facilities powered entirely on renewable energy. "Tokyo is prepared to do everything to create the best conditions for the athletes," Ishihara said