Athletics get a green thumb

Many Americans (61 percent at last count) – myself included – focus so much of their time on sporting events, but set aside science news. So says a recent Forbes magazine report.

With athletics being such an integral part of our society, sports leagues can make a big impact in preserving our environment, through efforts in energy conservation.

Ovie Mughelli was a Pro Bowl fullback for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, and upon retirement got into environmentalism and established a foundation dedicated to making the world of sports sustainable with green energy. Per Forbes magazine, he said, “My goal is to help every child understand why going green should be important to them. One of the organizations that I’ve partnered with is National Resources Defense Council. Together we are working towards helping all sports teams make the necessary changes in their organization to help the environment instead of hurting it.”

Sporting venues are typically energy pits, eating up electricity, using copious amounts of water and in some instances, causing an extra 40,000-plus cars to travel the highways.

Measures have been implemented in select stadiums, however, such as Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL Eagles. In January 2013, the powers-that-be installed 11,000 solar panels and 14 wind turbines to mitigate the use of electricity in the Eagles’ “Go Green” campaign, which also included a reduction in water waste, converting used cooking oil into biodiesel fuel and a new recycling program for all paper products. A sign in the men’s restroom says, “Recycle your beer here and your plastics outside.” Another sign at Lincoln Financial proclaims “The only water we waste is sweat.”

The major league baseball St. Louis Cardinals reduced their energy consumption by 24 percent in a three-year span, after 2010. Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, developed a rainwater recycling system in an eco-partnership with Pentair, a leading company in water solutions. Rainwater is collected at the stadium and filtered to higher-than-tap water standards, then used to irrigate the field – a design to save over two million gallons of water annually.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification, has earned 15 buildings as “green” in professional sports in this country. They include both the Moda Center and Providence Park, here in Portland. Per LEED specifications, the Trail Blazers worked on lighting upgrades and electrical sequencing improvements that save a combined 771,000 kilowatt hours per year, replaced bathroom fixtures with low-flow models, while promoting public transit and alternative transportation methods, which are used by an estimated 30 percent of fans. The Blazers have also diverted 80 percent of waste from landfills by using a food-waste composting program with vendors.

The Timbers now use more energy-efficient mechanical systems and lighting to improve electrical efficiency by more than 40 percent over the original installation. They have recycling stations posted for staff and visitors, and initiated composting in all onsite kitchens, which saves 20 percent of all potential waste. Like their in-city brethren, they have subsidized mass transit programs and have around 100 permanent bike racks around the Park, plus 250 temporary racks for game days.

These are procedures that every major sports venue should put into practice. Sports are a big business across many levels, and have the power to influence the public. Athletes are viewed as role models, franchises can help build cities, and the owners have the obligation, nay, the responsibility, to offset their carbon footprint and get with the times.