There have been previous posts about how different sports are promoting sustainable energy. Late 2014, Douglas Main wrote in Newsweek magazine about the latest efforts by the National Hockey League. Every effort helps, no doubt.
NHL Announces Plan to Go Carbon Neutral, Audit Energy Efficiency
The National Hockey League wants to put a check on climate change.
Yesterday the league announced that it has purchased enough renewable energy to offset all the electricity to be used by every NHL facility in the current 2014-2015 season. And it said that it will begin a comprehensive audit of energy efficiency of all of these buildings.
This is unprecedented for any sports team or league, says Allen Hershkowitz, president of the Green Sports Alliance, a nonprofit organization that helps sports teams and leagues become more environmentally friendly.
“Nothing like this has ever happened in professional sports,” Hershkowitz adds.
The move is meant to raise awareness about climate change and the planetary warming created by the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
“Our sport was born on frozen ponds and relies on winter weather,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in a statement. “Everyone who loves our game will benefit by taking an active role in preserving the environment and the roots of the game.”
The act is somewhat symbolic in that the league doesn’t produce a lot of carbon emissions, estimated to be 550,000 metric tons per year (less than annual emission of Bermuda, for example). But it nevertheless suggests that the league is willing to pay for renewable energy, which is “an enormously important market statement,” Hershkowitz says.
It also spreads a message about the problems posed by climate change to a new audience—more people say they are interested in sports than environmental issues, he notes. And “the NHL is not political, it spans all groups and socioeconomic classes,” he says. “Climate deniers can attack the EPA with impunity, but they can’t attack the NHL,” at least not without more people paying attention, he adds.
The carbon offsets will take the form of renewable energy certificates, and done in partnership with Constellation, an energy company. What this means, in essence, is that the league will purchase as much electricity as is used this season from renewable wind and solar sources, Hershkowitz says. This energy will flow into the grid and be used by everybody, not specifically NFL facilities.
Although there is no promise the league will improve energy efficiency after the comprehensive audit, Hershkowitz says that in his 35 years of experience with such proceedings, he has yet to witness an instance where a company or organization didn’t take steps to become more efficient afterward. Once “you identify inefficiencies, it just makes economic sense” to improve, he says.
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 