In your efforts to be more green, supporting green sports events has probably not been at the top of your eco-friendly list. But it is top-of-mind for a growing group of sports professionals. The Green Sports Alliance, formed last week by sports team owner Paul Allen and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), will promote eco-friendly practices for sports teams and stadiums.
In your efforts to be more green, supporting green sports events has probably not been at the top of your eco-friendly list. But it is top-of-mind for a growing group of sports professionals. The Green Sports Alliance, formed last week by sports team owner Paul Allen and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), will promote eco-friendly practices for sports teams and stadiums.
Green professional sports teams
Visit GreenSportsAlliance.org and you’ll see:
“Professional sports have been supporting socially responsible causes for decades. Now our environment will benefit from that good work.”
How will the environment benefit?
The Green Sports Alliance includes Allen’s teams Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Seattle Sounders, as well as Seattle Storm, Seattle Mariners, and Vancouver Canucks, plus a number of stadiums. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and six major sports leagues are also endorsing the Alliance. The mission of the Alliance is to overhaul many of the nation’s leading sports stadiums and training facilities so they are more environmentally-friendly. Further, the Alliance wants to serve as a role model for environmentalism for the nation’s sports spectators. After all, both kids and adults admire athletes and spend a lot of time watching them.
Via Switchboard, the NRDC staff blog:
“Outside of the family, the most influential role models in our society are athletes and entertainers. The most widely watched TV shows worldwide are sports shows. And professional sports leagues are non-partisan businesses, so their embrace of environmentalism helps us deflect ideological and politically inspired attacks on the environmental agenda,” says Allen Hershkowitz, senior scientist at NRDC.
NRDC is a leader in greening sports
The Green Sports Alliance isn’t the NRDC’s first involvement in eco-friendly sporting events. As a result of NRDC’s previous work with other sports teams and leagues, more than 100 professional teams have adopted environmental initiatives at their stadiums or arenas, and countless “Jewel Events” by the leagues have benefitted from NRDC’s guidance and expertise. To learn more about the NRDC’s work greening professional sports, visit www.nrdc.org/greenbusiness/guides/sports.
Green Sports Summit
Stay tuned for more green sports news. The Green Sports Alliance is holding a Green Sports Summit in Portland, Oregon at the World Trade Center on August 1-3, 2011. The Summit will be featuring “best in class” professional sports leaders who will share how they have reduced their environmental impact. More green sporting events to come.
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