Here’s a fun game for the whole family: You name a sport; I’ll tell you how it’s jumping on the green bandwagon. Ready? OK!
Baseball: Milwaukee Brewers first basement Prince Fielder has become a vegetarian after his wife gave him a copy of the book Skinny Bitch. He’s probably not in their target demographic, but whatevs.
Major League Baseball has teamed up with the Natural Resources Defense Council for a Team Greening Program, designed to “support and coordinate the many environmentally sensitive practices now pursued by virtually every Major League Baseball Club.” (Who knew?)
The New York Mets have also announced that their new Citi Field will boast exciting eco-features like recycled steel, energy-efficient lights, and waterless urinals. Cue groan-worthy statement by EPA Regional Administrator Alan Steinberg: “We know that Citi Field, with its green grass and green facilities, will make the National League and the entire American League green with envy.” Please, someone, assure me that Grist’s puns aren’t quite that bad.
Golf: Pro swinger Tripp Isenhour is accused of intentionally hitting and killing a red-shouldered hawk with a golf ball. Isenhour has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and killing a migratory bird, which carry a maximum penalty of 14 months in jail and $1,500 in fines. Isenhour says he wasn’t trying to hit the hawk, but witnesses disagree.
In happier birdie news (see what I did there?) a luxury golf course community in Florida is sharing space with bald eagles.
Hockey: An impressive 523 members of the National Hockey League Players’ Association are participating in the “NHLPA Carbon Neutral Challenge,” which means that they’re — you guessed it — purchasing carbon offsets for their hockey-related travel and accommodations.
At least one player is going further: the Vancouver Canucks’ Willie Mitchell traded in his SUV for a Prius. “I’ll be honest; I had an H2 at one time,” says Mitchell. But now: “I’m not perfect, by no means, but you’ve got to start somewhere. I recycle. I changed out the light bulbs, put in the LEDs. I put my newspapers in the blue box, take the labels off cans. I just feel like it’s my obligation.”
Biking: Worksman Cycles, the oldest bicycle manufacturer in the U.S., is going to start powering its operations with solar energy. The business specializes in adult tricycles and hot-dog vending carts, which is awesome.
Beijing Olympics: The Olympic Village in Beijing is designed to be “energy-saving and environmentally friendly.” It’s powered partly with solar energy and will recycle waste water, among other things.
Marathon world-record holder Haile Gebreselassie will aim to qualify in the 10,000 meters instead of the marathon, in fear that the air quality would affect his asthma.
In response to concerns about water availability, Beijing officials say they are confident there will be enough.
The city also says it plans to compensate residents who will face driving restrictions during the games.
And while Beijing is rushing to get green for the Games, city officials aim to maintain a longer-term focus on reducing pollution: they’ve begun gathering data on 90,000 pollution sources, which will be publicized next year.
London Olympics: London plans to hold a car-free Games in 2012 — except for the 3,000 chaffeur-driven cars that the International Olympic Committee is demanding for fancy folk. Green Assemblymember Jenny Jones: “I am appalled that so many bigwigs will be chauffeured around on dedicated lanes when there is going to be a superb public transport service as well as a special coach service. It is against the whole spirit of the Games, which is meant to be the greenest ever.”
Sorry, friends, no green news hot off the presses about curling or ping-pong today. Perhaps next week.
