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If they green it, will fans come?

Hanh Ho | May 31, 2009

Major league baseball’s green initiatives

 

Baseball has always been my favorite sport. As winter subsides and spring marks the beginning of the baseball season, I took a moment to reflect on our nation’s favorite pastime. Of all sports, baseball is the most dependent on fair (if not warm) weather. With more games getting rained out or called off because of extreme weather in the month of April, I wondered whether Major League Baseball was getting concerned about climate change.

It turns out that, in a joint effort between the MLB and the National Resource Defense Council, baseball teams across the country are working to improve their sustainability practices.

Leading the charge, the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 adopted practices such as using more energy efficient LED lighting, recycling cooking oil, increasing the use of compostable products, increasing recycling rates, and educating fans on how they can join the Phillies in their environmental efforts.

The Boston Red Sox adopted similar practices. They even installed solar panels at the roof behind home plate, which replaced 37% of gas energy used, equivalent to 18 tons of CO2 a year.

The Phillies and the Red Sox aren’t the only teams engaged in greening their operations. Other teams are joining the cause. Here is an abbreviated list of what they’re doing:

Renewable energy, carbon offsets

  • Philadelphia Phillies
  • Seattle Mariners
  • Cincinnati Reds
  • Tampa Bay Rays

Tree planting

  • Oakland Athletics
  • Houston Astros

Education and outreach

  • The Pittsburgh Pirates launched “Let’s Go Bucs, Let’s Go Green” program that integrates greening initiatives, sustainable business practices, and educational outreach.

It’s difficult to say whether the green initiatives launched by MLB teams are drawing more fans to games. Though many teams are still at the early stages of reinventing the way they operate, I would like to see more teams follow the approach taken by the Phillies and Red Sox. I hope teams see this chance to change their sustainability practices as something more than a marketing opportunity.

Image by Flickr user Joe Y Jiang.

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Comments


  • 1.

    At AT&T Park, the garlic fries are as green as they are tasty...

    As the 2009 baseball season begins, the most impressive part of AT&T Park, home to the San Francisco Giants, may be all the green you can't see.

    Since AT&T Park opened nearly a decade ago, the Giants have committed to making it one of the most energy-efficient structures in the major leagues—and PG&E has worked with them every step of the way. This year, the Giants have created the first green concession stand at the Gilroy Garlic Fries venue on the promenade level behind home plate.

    PG&E's Food Technology Service Center, Customer Energy Efficiency and Service and Sales departments led the effort to retrofit the entire 550-square-foot stand with the latest in technology and energy-efficiency advances, including:

    Henny Penny open fryers that reduce gas consumption by 32 percent and cooking oil consumption by 12 percent
    Coca-Cola's energy management system cooler, which is 35 percent more energy efficient than traditional models
    High lumen fluorescent lights—the most efficient tube lights and starters available—to cut electricity usage by 36 percent
    Signage provided by The Signworks made from 100 percent biodegradable materials
    Recyclable drink cups and compostable paper boats and carry trays
    Environmentally friendly paint (bright green, of course)
    Approximately 800 pounds of garlic fries are prepared at this stand per game. With the new energy-efficient appliances, that translates into enough energy to fry an additional 110 tons of garlic fries—or nearly four season's worth.

    "Each year, PG&E seeks to expand our renewable energy and conservation messages on a level that all fans can relate to," said Advertising Representative Amanda Tutera of PG&E's Advertising and Corporate Identity department. "So what better way than to take the park's most popular food—those famous garlic fries—and make the stand that produces them completely energy efficient?"

    According to Giants President Larry Baer, more energy-efficiency efforts are likely on the way. "Thanks to partners like PG&E, we've been able to get a much more efficient way to cook garlic fries in this one stand, and we look forward to spreading that around the ballpark," he said.

    Atop the standings in energy efficiency
    In 2007, PG&E installed nearly 600 solar panels, making AT&T Park the first solar ballpark in the major leagues. The power generated from the panels flows directly to the grid, providing clean, renewable power to PG&E customers. As the 2009 season begins, the panels have kept over 345,000 pounds of greenhouse gases out of the air.

    PG&E has also provided rebates to the park for a variety of energy conservation projects, ranging from the installation of occupancy sensors to efficient compact fluorescent lamps.

    Collectively, these measures and others are getting national attention. The Giants hope AT&T Park will be the first major league stadium to receive U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) certification for existing buildings, operations and maintenance.

    The USGBC is a nonprofit organization that certifies sustainable facilities using its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. The process is expected to be completed within the year and includes key efforts in the areas of energy management and conservation.

    Spreading the green word
    As the certification process unfolds behind the scenes, the Giants will introduce a new feature during games this season—The Green Team—that will inform fans about composting and recycling. The team will also collect trash during the seventh-inning stretch.

    PG&E will continue to educate customers at the park this year, including an event in conjunction with the California Academy of Sciences on Earth Day, April 22, when fans will receive a reusable grocery bag and learn about the many things they can do to ensure a healthy environment; and PG&E Solar Day, May 3, which will highlight the company’s solar programs and commitment to renewable energy.


    Reply
  • 2.

    You forgot about the Washington National's Stadium which was built last year (from the National's website):

    Green Ballpark
    Nationals Park is the nation's first major professional stadium to become LEED Silver Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The project incorporates a variety of sustainable design elements.

    A Sustainable Site
    Nationals Park is categorized as a brownfield redevelopment that is located near the Anacostia River. It is anticipated that the ballpark will serve as an anchor for urban revitalization of the area, including a new mixed-use entertainment zone.
    The ballpark site was enrolled in the Voluntary Clean Up Program and therefore provides an opportunity to leave the roughly 25-acre site a much better environment then when it was received. Environmental remediation efforts are ongoing.
    The ballpark's location is easily accessible to public transportation, including access to nearby metro stations and local bus routes.

    Use of Materials

    *Water conserving plumbing fixtures are used throughout the project, saving an estimated 3.6 million gallons of water per year and reducing overall water consumption by 30 percent.
    *Energy conserving light fixtures help reduce light pollution and realize a projected 21 percent energy savings over typical field lighting.
    *Content of building materials used on the project contain a minimum of 10 percent recycled content, and other interior materials including adhesives, carpet glues and paints were specified with low VOC contents.
    *Many of the building materials used on the project were produced regionally, which cut down on transportation costs while promoting the local economy.
    *Landscape plant materials specified are drought resistant, conserving water by eliminating the need for irrigation.
    *Roof materials offer a high degree of reflectance, minimizing the amount of heat released to the environment. A 6,300 square foot green roof above a concession/toilet area beyond left field minimizes roof heat gain.
    *5,500 tons of construction waste were recycled.

    An Intricate Ground and Stormwater Filtration System

    Because the site is within close proximity to the Anacostia River, much care was taken to treat storm and ground water runoff. The result is a unique, intricate water filtration system that separates water used for cleaning the ballpark from rainwater falling on the ballpark and treats both sources of water before it is released to the sanitary and stormwater systems. Special care was also given to screening organic debris such as peanut shells that are unique to this building type from the stormwater system.


    Reply
  • 3.

    You should check out weplaygreen.org, if you are interested in green sports. It was co-founded by Cincinnati Reds rookie outfielder Chris Dickerson. He started recycling efforts with the Louisville Bats AAA club last year and has really been a force for green initiatives in professional sports since making the big leagues this year. Several other athletes have joined him in his efforts to green up professional sports. The website is fairly new and under construction, but it gives a good idea of what the group is about.


    Reply
  • Jon

    Thank you for sharing the website. It's a terrific site. For the athletes on board, what is their level of commitment to get on that list? It's refreshing to see some of my favorite athletes' thoughts on climate change and to see them take it into public discourse.


    Reply

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