When you take a look at a typical sports stadium, it doesn’t take long to see that some of America’s favorite pastimes have less-than-stellar environmental records. Hate to break it to you, but grass isn’t naturally that green (lots of water and fertilizer), the visiting team didn’t arrive on bicycles or public transit, and all those single-use containers holding beer and hot dogs don’t biodegrade (yet!). But that doesn’t mean you should boycott sports and relegate your foam fingers to the junk drawer.
Teams are getting the picture that they have a huge impact on the Earth, and many are now trying to make that impact as positive as possible. They’re stepping up to the plate, tackling their environmental ills, and making plays to ensure everyone wins.
Here’s what’s going on in pro sports now:
Baseball
When the Washington Nationals threw out the first pitch of their 2008 season, they inaugurated the country’s first LEED Silver certified stadium, complete with a 6,300 square foot green roof, a stormwater filtration system, low-flow plumbing, and high-efficiency lighting. And get this: 80 percent of the construction waste was diverted from landfills. Click here to read more about the ballpark.
In 2007, the Colorado Rockies outfitted Coors Field with solar panels to help power the park. A screen that shows how much power is being created in real-time serves to educate ballpark about renewable energy. The Rockies continue on with their green initiative this year with their 20 Games of Green Program, which includes a “Wood for Wood” program where the team plants a tree in the Denver area for each home run they hit.
For the second consecutive year, the Philadelphia Phillies have bought 20 million kilowatt hours of Green-e certified renewable energy certificates, offsetting the carbon footprint created by electricity use at Citizens Bank Park. You can read more about the Phillies on SustainLane here.
Basketball
The NBA partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Counsel (NRDC) for their Green Week 2009. From April 2–10, each of the league’s thirty teams encouraged fans to adopt green habits by hosting community service events, tree plantings, and recycling drives. Denver Nuggets, Charlotte Bobcats, and the Chicago Bulls players wore uniforms made from 49 percent organic cotton. While it would be great if teams kept wearing their spiffy green jerseys throughout the season, it’s a start. The NBA also auctioned off signed basketballs made from recycled materials with proceeds benefiting the NRDC.
