by Alden Smith
With an ever-growing awareness of our environment and the impact our activities have on the planet, we sometimes overlook the impact that our recreational activities make. Sports are no exception to going green. If you think that sports have little or no impact, consider the amount of pollution created just getting to a popular college football game. Michigan State University often has backups in traffic that last several hours due to the number of people coming to the game. Huge amounts of energy are used in lighting night baseball games. Thousands of empties, including water bottles and paper cups are generated. Golf courses, once viewed as an ecologically sound and practical use of land that preserved green space in otherwise intensely developed areas, are now considered toxic dumps.
Golf Courses - Are They Environmentally Friendly?
Many people concerned with the impact of sports on the environment would feel that a golf course is one of the least green things in the world. Here, we have huge expanses of land that are meticulously groomed, fertilized and treated with pesticides for the sake of a super green turf and an environment that is friendly to the golfer, not the planet. Whole communities spring up around golf courses, adding to the carbon footprint and creating pollutants from transportation. Because many of the better golf courses are located in desert areas, these communities make extensive use of air conditioning for creature comfort. These are just a few of the many ways golf courses harm the environment.
What Do Golf Course Owners Do?
Golf courses and clubs are striving to enhance their valuable natural areas and wildlife habitats by providing sustainable open space. They struggle to improve efficiency, and to minimize potentially harmful impacts caused by golf operations. In Southern Florida, many are seeking certification from the Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary Program. This is no easy task. Golf resorts are required to document management practices in environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, water quality management, and outreach and education programs in order to be certified. Currently, there are over 40 golf courses in Southwest Florida that have received this certification in varying degrees.
The results?
*289 species of birds have been observed on these courses.
*5,069 new birds were fledged from nest boxes on 86 different golf courses.
The Green Goal Initiative
The Green Goal Initiative is a comprehensive program developed in Germany that affects the world of soccer. This ambitious project is designed to reduce the impact on the environment. This initiative, released in 2005, provides measurable environmental targets in four key areas:
Water
Refuse
Energy
Mobility
Runoff from stadium roofs is being used to operate urinals, thus decreasing the impact on water systems, and providing a use for runoff that would normally be introduced to the environment. They handle refuse by charging 5 Euros for a drinking cup, which is the only one a person is allowed during the games. Because the impact of transportation on the environment by people flying and driving to the events, Green Goal has called for programs balanced with investments in select environmental projects. One of the things done was to provide aid to Tamil Nadu, an area of India hard hit by the tsunami of 2004.
What Can You Do at Home?
Everywhere you turn you hear about soccer moms. The fact is young children and teens involved in sports either outgrow their uniforms, or to upgrade their equipment. If you seek an alternative to the high cost of sports equipment for your children, consider utilizing Play It Again Sports. This organization provides new and used sports equipment not only for your children, but for other sports players as well. They have equipment for golf, fitness, baseball, hockey, snow sports and water sports. Prices are very good for equipment that fetches a high price in the retail market. Visit them today at PlayItAgainSports.com.
Sports, like anything else, have an impact on the environment. Everyone doing their share helps, but the sports industry is now taking a closer look at the impact their organization has on the planet. ike everything else, it takes only education to inform sports owners and organizations and raise their awareness. Planning for a green world is every person's obligation.
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