Sports and climate change : winning the race



Let’s get to the topic of today : sports and climate change.

First of all, everyone  loves sports. Yes we do, we adore it, love kicking a ball, watching the ball and having a ball at it.

Alternatively, we love the thrill of watching someone race another fellow and win the gold, silver and bronze. More importantly, we love it when our favourite athletes sweep the podium and take all the honours. In fact, people get more patriotic when their country wins a medal. That’s when we remember all the words of the national anthem and hold our hands on our chests with fervor, respect and a little bit of wet in our eyes.

Okay, let’s get to it

Ladies and gentlemen, how do sports contribute to climate change?

Well like this you see:

Stadiums

Let’s start with the materials used to build stadium. A lot of concrete is used. Plastic also. Metal too. Plastic is made of petrochemicals unless it is biodegradable plastic which is more expensive and not as readily available see here. Concrete especially cement making is a contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.

Stadiums like those that host major world events in the sports sector like the Olympics, World Cup, Diamond League are made not only to host the huge number of people but also to appeal to aesthetics. In other words, they must be unique and iconic, like the Birds Nest in Beijing or the
 Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro below where Germany lifted the world cup
one of the stadiums used in Russia in the 2018 worldcup


That means that more often than not, mega stadiums of such nature will use a huge amount of materials designed in various ways. By itself, building a stadium has a huge carbon footprint.[1]

Also, stadiums require a lot of energy to power them. Whether it is the electricity /energy used in the construction of the stadium or the energy for heating, lighting, showers, computers, sound system et cetera, most of the power comes from fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas.

But in an uplifting turn, some stadiums are installing solar panels on the roof to generate their own renewable electricity. An example is the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, home of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Transport

Major sporting events like the World Cup mean that millions will visit the particular venue of a high stakes match or sprints duel. In fact, according to FIFA over 5.1 million attended the world's most popular footballing event.

Of course, lots of people will fly in or drive to the place. Nothing beats the thrill and atmosphere of watching a favourite match firsthand. Both aviation and driving contribute a significant percentage of emissions , about 14% of the overall. The aviation sector for instance contributes about 6% of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Hundreds of cars burning diesel, gasoline/petrol going to a particular place release tonnes and tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

A solution to this is car sharing. Rather than everyone getting into his/her car and siting in the jam (more emissions releases as the car idles on the static road)

One can also use electric cars provided the electricity used is renewable.

 Television

A much awaited event like the Superbowl or the final match of the world cup attracts millions of viewers from across the globe. Since not everyone can attend such events, majority of mankind sits back at home with some refreshments and follows the progress of the game on their telly. There are also those who stream the matches on their computers.

That means that a lot more energy is used as the electronic gadgets need power. Since fossil fuels have the lion’s share of all energy consumed on Earth, more emissions of carbon dioxide are released into the air at that time more than would normally occur.

Actual sports

When we talk of actual sports, we mean sports that directly contribute to carbon pollution[2]. Such sports would include Nascar and Formula 1, which both use cars to race around in a field. The vehicles are specialized and built specifically for racing. They are however designed for maximum and efficient fuel utilization.

By virtue (or vice) of the fact that the vehicles use fossil fuels and race in fast speeds and for relatively long distances, the emissions produced are quite a sizeable amount. The grounds needed for circuits[3] require a lot of land. That means there are emissions from land degradation and deforestation (when you clear the land of vegetation)

Both Nascar and Formula 1 are trying to reduce their carbon footprint through various methods, with significant gains being made.

Formula 1 especially, apart from being known for the titanic fight for supremacy between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, is also quite notable as an increasingly green sport. Use of energy recovery systems, hybrid engines and maximizing fuel efficiency is making F1 a fast and green joy, well, relatively that is. Formula 1 still has to reduce air travel emissions since its drivers fly from city to city to race.
  
Below is a picture of a Formula 1 race car
I say relatively because in pole position is Formula E, a much more beautiful green sport which uses electricity and solar energy to power its race cars.

Some companies like McLaren, one of the shareholders in Formula E, also have made steps to be environmentally sound, for example, they recycle almost all of the waste they produce.


Food Waste

Another way sports contribute to climate change is food wastage during actual sporting events. A lot of food is consumed during games. A good percentage of this food is however wasted.

Food (and wasting it) contributes to global warming in three major ways
*    
 Food rotting in landfills or dumpsites produces methane which is a greenhouse gas.
*    
  Livestock is the source of meat. Livestock release methane from digestion. Methane is a greenhouse gas. So if you don’t eat whatever you bought those emissions are in vain.
*    
  Energy used in cooking and packaging comes majorly from fuel fuels.

Kits and attires

 Most clothes are made from derivatives of fossil fuels. Football boots worn by players or running spikes by athletes are also made from synthetic rubber which is fossil fuel derived. Balls are also made from fossil fuels.

Onto :

How can organizers of a sporting event deal with unavoidable emissions?

Well, offsetting naturally.

What is offsetting you ask?

Well it is when a polluting entity buys emission reductions units from green projects. That is, support a green project like a power plant operating on renewable energy. Or an afforestation project. It works on the premise that whatever carbon dioxide you are emitting is either absorbed or avoided elsewhere.

Well there goes the whistle. It's half time ladies and gentlemen, see you after half an hour



[1] The amount of carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide equivalent (for other greenhouse gases) released into the atmosphere by a particular activity
[2] Basically means release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is a form of pollution
[3] A circuit is the very well developed grounds used for the actual races. Like the field if we were talking of football

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