It's kickoff time
Sports, climate change, and how you can step up to the plate
Fall marks the beginning of many sports seasons and for many, sports aren't just a pastime; they're a passion. Climate change is already affecting sports—and many athletes and teams are stepping up to the challenge by taking and advocating for climate action.
With so many unified by a love for their sport or team, this common ground might just be the perfect pitch to kick-start crucial conversations on climate. Here are a few places to start!
GOOD NEWS
World-wide, sports produce about the same amount of heat-trapping gas emissions as a medium-sized country. Just think about the energy needed to power stadiums and training grounds, the carbon emissions from fans and athletes traveling to games, the waste generated at events, and all the materials needed to construct and maintain facilities – but that means there’s a lot of opportunities for them to cut emissions and encourage others to, as well.
Stadiums and arenas are embracing more climate friendly practices. Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, where the Kraken play in the National Hockey League, is a great example. Ice for the hockey rink is made from recaptured rainwater collected from the roof, and all events there are “zero waste” through the use of compostable containers and elimination of single use containers. At least 75 percent of the arena’s concessions are sourced seasonally from local farmers, and viable unused food is donated to community food programs. The facility is all-electric, and publicly discloses emissions for all events.
In Minneapolis, where the Vikings play football at the U.S. Bank Stadium, waste generated during games is reused, recycled or composted. The rest is turned into steam that heats buildings in downtown Minneapolis. When the stadium hosted Super Bowl LII in 2018, 91 percent of the trash from the 68,000 fans who attended the game went to a compost or recycling bin rather than a landfill.
It’s not just about taking action themselves: sports teams have tremendous potential to convince others it’s important, too. The Reading Football Club’s uniforms incorporate the Warming Stripes, a visual representation of how much the world has warmed, created by climate scientist Ed Hawkins at the University of Reading. The German team TSG Offenheim sells “climate tickets” that enable fans to support sustainable land use initiatives in Uganda. Members of the UN Sports for Action, ranging from the International Canoe Federation to Formula 1 and Wimbledon, commit to educate and advocate for climate action.
This week, look into what your favourite team is doing. Share any good news you learn about. Also reach out to them; give them an example of what another team like them is doing; and ask them to do more. It will take a while for most sports teams to reach the climate cred of the U.K. Forest Green Rovers, the first UN-certified carbon-neutral football team. But as the science tells us, every action matters!
NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS
Climate change is threatening sporting events, venues, and players worldwide. Heavy precipitation and sea level rise is putting many locations at risk of flooding. Over the next three decades a quarter of English league football grounds -- plus many other stadiums in the EU, Canada and the US -- will be at risk from flooding every season. What about golf? One in three British Open golf courses will be damaged by rising sea levels and courses around the world from Australia to the U.S. are already experiencing increased flood risk.
Extreme heat is also affecting venues, attendees, and athletes. In 2018 — for the first time in the event’s history — the U.S. Open was forced to implement a new policy that allowed tennis players to take a “heat break” during their matches, after several athletes withdrew from the tournament because of extreme heat conditions in New York City. The poor air quality from wildfires caused delays and cancelled games at the 2020 Australian Open as some players retired from the tournament because of the dangers to their health.
Where I live in Texas, the Rangers baseball team installed a new roof on their stadium a few years ago so they could air-condition the entire stadium to keep fans and players cool; but many don’t have the ability to play indoors. As school began this year, many high schools including my son's are bumping the start times of games in an attempt to play during cooler temperatures (but with temperatures still above 100F at 9pm at night, it hasn't done much so far). The other week, dozens of fans at the University of Texas’ opening football game ended up at the first aid station and several even had to be taken to the hospital due to heat-related causes.
The risks are real: heat stroke is a leading cause of death in sports, and it's escalating heat-related illnesses, injuries, and hospitalizations for athletes.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
If you care about sports, climate change is already affecting what you love. And that makes you the perfect person to talk about it! Whether you’re watching a Little League game, playing in a rec league, or managing a Fantasy Football team, beginning conversations with sports rather than science can engage many who might not think climate change is relevant to their lives.
Imagine you’re in a stadium, surrounded by fellow fans. You share a love for the sport, and probably root for the same team. These days, “it is so hot” comes up nearly every time. So, what do you do?
Mention how the seasons are starting off warmer and warmer. Maybe reminisce about how you used to be able to enjoy the outdoor weather. Discuss the health risks athletes face due to the changing climate. Then, jump straight into solutions.
There are many athletes driving change, like Garry Gilliam, former NFL player and CEO of the Bridge Eco Village, or EcoAthlete champions like pitcher Brent Suter, or Pakistani soccer player Karishma Ali who I featured in the newsletter last week.
You can talk about the solutions I mention here, or how solar panel canopies over the stadium parking lot would be a great idea, or share some of the actions you take yourself – maybe you’ve divested from fossil fuels, reduced your food waste, joined a climate advocacy group, read a great book or followed someone on social media, electrified your home, or taken on any of the other climate solutions I write about every week.
Every conversation can make a difference and by starting with a shared love of sports, we can help people understand why climate change matters to them and what real solutions look like.
Weds., Sept. 13th at 12:30pm EDT - "Connecting with Americans on Climate Change" with MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative - online
Mon., Sept. 18th at 10am EDT - "Climate & Development Finance: What Works?" with Project Syndicate and European Investment Bank (EIB) - in-person in NYC and online
Mon., Sept. 18th at 4:30pm EDT - "This is Climate: Women Leading the Charge" with the The Washington Post at Climate Week NYC - live-stream
Tues., Sept. 19th at 12:30 EDT - "Bridging the Divide: Making Action on the Energy Transition a Reality" with Columbia University | SIPA - in person in NYC and on live-stream
Thurs., Sept. 28th at 7pm EDT - "New England’s Climate Future: City, Land and Sea" with WGBH Radio and Television - in person in Boston, Massachusetts
Weds., Oct. 4th at 7:30pm EDT- "Fall for the Book: SAVING US" with George Mason University in Fairfax, VA - in person
Sun., Oct. 29th at 4pm CDT - "If the Sky Were Orange: Art in the Time of Climate Change" a panel discussion at the exhibit at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, TX - in person