The wait is almost over. The start of baseball season is just days away! It is encouraging to see that teams all around the country have been stepping up the plate and working to implement more environmentally friendly strategies into their stadiums and operations.
In 2008, the Boston Red Sox became the first MLB team to utilize solar thermal energy at their stadium. The solar thermal panels provide 37% of the gas needed to heat their water. The panels have also been helping the Sox avoid 18 tons of CO2 emissions every year since. The Red Sox have also created a “Green Team” which is comprised of volunteers who work during the games, collecting recyclable materials and educating fans about the importance of recycling. The “Green Team” is made up mostly of local college students who get to watch the games for free; not a bad deal.
In 2008, the Washington Nationals constructed the first green professional stadium in the U.S. The building is LEED-silver certified and uses 15% less energy than the old RFK Stadium. In the construction alone, 5,500 tons of construction waste were recycled. This year, the new Minnesota Twins’ Target Field is heading for its own LEED-gold certification. This is made possible in part by the Twins’ rainwater recycling system that reduces the stadiums need for municipal water by 50% and saves over 2 million gallons of water each year.
This season, several teams are out to make a statement during the games. On April 17th the Cleveland Indians will be giving out recycled hats made from plastic bottles. And on Earth Day, the Cincinnati Reds will offset their carbon emissions, while event staff don new uniforms also made from recycled plastic bottles.
In New York, the Giants have switched over to a more eco-friendly laundry detergent. The green detergent is botanically-based and phosphate-free, which could really add up if you think about their laundry piles. The Giants are also the first team to incorporate solar energy panels that give back up to 120 kilowatts of energy to the local grid. The Giants have also replaced hundreds of bulbs with more efficient florescent ones, implemented an irrigation clock, and started an aggressive recycling program which saved them $100,000 in garbage disposal fees last year alone. Not too far away, the New York Yankees’ stadium was constructed with recycled coal combustion products instead of new cement, and 95% of the steel used in the building is recycled. However, like many others across the nation, the two New York stadiums together use 20 megawatts at peak power which is over 20,000 homes worth, and double what the old stadiums were capable of using. It’s not perfect, but at least it’s a start.
(Image: Bailey, Untitled (Baseball Plant), 2009)
