*[Enwl-eng] Kicking polluters out of sport
ENWL
|
No images? Click here  Sport could be a zero-carbon pursuit that remains a cornerstone of everyday life in a climate-stable future. But that's now how things are today. For sport to continue being an important refuge for many, something has to be done about the environmental consequences of humanity's favourite pastimes You're reading the Imagine newsletter – a weekly synthesis of academic insight on solutions to climate change, brought to you by The Conversation. I'm Jack Marley, energy and environment editor. This week we're looking at how sport must change – or risk being ruined by the climate crisis. Green Football Weekend is an annual event in the UK which highlights the ways teams could become more environmentally friendly. For professional clubs, a lot needs to happen says Leslie Mabon, a lecturer in environmental systems at The Open University. Too many flights in the top flight Travel is typically the biggest part of a football team's carbon footprint according to an analysis by Mabon. He urges clubs in the UK's Premier League to consider the timing of games, to give fans more time to get trains and buses home, and transport players by coach instead of plane. That's a harder sell for elite teams that are more likely to compete in far-flung fixtures and international tournaments. "The wealthier a team is, and the higher the level it plays at, the higher these emissions are likely to be," he says. Here too, scheduling could help, Mabon says. If teams competed in regional heats before they advanced to play later rounds abroad, it could slash the number of flights and emissions per tournament. The teams themselves would probably benefit too. During the pandemic, US sports teams travelled less and research showed how it meant less stress for players, who performed better. Unfortunately, the emissions don't end there. Big, heated stadiums with flood flights and meticulously maintained grass pitches consume a lot of energy. "The ever-increasing number of replica kits that teams produce also comes at an environmental cost," Mabon says. "It’s been estimated that a polyester football shirt has a carbon footprint of 5.5kg – about the same as driving a petrol-powered car 45 kilometres." And then there are the owners and sponsors of big teams: petrostates like Saudi Arabia and high-emitting industries like airlines. Mabon highlights how the good feelings you get watching your team can rub off on the brands plastered over their jerseys – or the smiling billionaires injecting money into the club. This is called "sportswashing", and more conscientious fans are campaigning against it by urging clubs to divest from big polluters. Greening the grassroots Amateur clubs can always do with more support, and that includes help to reach net zero. Mark Charlton is a director of research at De Montfort University who studies how grassroots football teams can reduce their emissions. "Appoint a volunteer sustainability officer to oversee the club’s plans," he says. "They can create a sustainability checklist of things to do after matches and training like turning off the lights and taps, or putting the recycling out." Serving plant-based food and drinks in reusable containers is another way small clubs can go green, Charlton says. Club grounds are often ripe for rewilding too – unused verges and corners could become groves or meadows that shelter wildlife. "Lead by example and show others that there are alternative ways to run a football club," he says. Sport on an overheating planet Daniel Yule, a competitor in the skiing world cup, recently pulled off a world-first by jumping 29 places in the course of two runs to finish first on a slalom course. It's unseasonably warm in Chamonix, the French Alps resort where the tournament is being held. Mark Maslin, a professor of earth system science at UCL (and a regular contributor to The Conversation), has argued that climate change had something to do with Yule's feat. Since Yule finished last in his first run, he was allowed to go first in the second – early in the day when the snow was in its best condition. As the day wore on and temperatures rose, the deteriorating snow affected the competition. "In fact, it had fallen apart so much that by the time the reigning Olympic champion, Clement Noel, stepped up to race the final run from first position, his 1.93 second lead over Yule melted away as quickly as the top layer of snow on the course," Maslin said in a post on LinkedIn. The climate crisis could have much more serious consequences for athletes and spectators as temperatures rise according to Madeleine Orr, a lecturer in sport ecology at Loughborough University. Writing in 2022 during the Tour de France, Orr noted how vulnerable the cyclists were to extreme weather. "Alexis Vuillermoz collapsed at the finish line of the ninth stage, was taken to hospital to treat heat illness, and later pulled out of the Tour," she says. Meanwhile, France was enduring its worst summer for wildfires in its history. "It’s a stroke of luck that the Tour escaped the flames," she says. In the US the football season begins in autumn. Orr appraised the situation in 2021 and weighed in on the dire outlook for the game. "With the west coast fighting fires, and the country’s south and northeast drowning in storms, it begs the question of whether it might be time to reschedule football." It may be hard to imagine your club cancelling flights for elite athletes and banning meat from stadiums. But without drastic changes, there is simply no future for the sport you know and love. - Jack Marley, Environment commissioning editor Was this email forwarded to you? Join the 30,000 people who get one email every week about the most important issue of our time. Subscribe to Imagine.  How to make a Premier League club truly climate-friendly An evidence-based look at how football clubs can reduce their climate impact.  Eight things grassroots football clubs can do to reach net zero By inspiring collective action, amateur football clubs can drive positive behaviour change and embed sustainability tactics in grassroots sport.  Tour de France: future heatwaves may make it untenable to hold the race in July This year's Tour was marked by near-40℃ temperatures, roads cooled with water, and heatstroke.  As U.S. football season kicks off, climate change threatens the game With rising temperatures, poorer air quality and a worsening hurricane season, climate change threatens the future of the American sport.  Tokyo 2020: how did the latest Olympics rank against others for sustainability? A study has looked at which mega events took the largest toll on the environment and local people.  Beijing 2022: environmental cost of world’s first Winter Olympics without natural snow – expert Q+A From pioneering green energy grids to mountains of fake snow. Latest from The Conversation on climate change
From: Imagine newsletter
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2024 9:12 PM
Subject: Kicking polluters out of sport |
------------- * ENWL * ------------
Ecological North West Line * St. Petersburg, Russia
Independent Environmental Net Service
Russian: ENWL (North West), ENWL-inf (FSU), ENWL-misc (any topics)
English: ENWL-eng (world information)
Send information to en...@enw.net.ru
Subscription,Moderator: en...@enw.net.ru
Archive: http://groups.google.com/group/enwl/
New digests see on https://ecodelo.org
(C) Please refer to exclusive articles of ENWL
-------------------------------------