Syracuse Crunch pro team skates under LED lights. “They make the arena brighter. It’s easier to see the puck,” says defenseman Joey Mormina. “The fun light show that follows goals adds energy for the crowd and players.” LED lighting provides improved
clarity in TV transmissions and sports action photos and doesn’t create soft spots on the ice, like traditional lights. “Utica and Binghamton teams switched to LED after playing in our arena,” comments Jim Sarosy, chief operating officer for the Crunch.
Water “The Crunch is the first pro hockey team to skate on recycled rainwater,” Sarosy adds. “It’s collected from the roof, stored in three central reservoirs in the basement and pumped into the Zamboni machine for resurfacing the ice.” The practice also diverts rainwater from overworked sewer systems. The first pro football stadium to earn a Leadership in Energy and Environmen- tal Design (LEED) Gold Certification, the San Francisco 49ers Levi’s Stadium fea- tures a 27,000-square-foot rooftop garden to help control water runoff. Home to the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers and Kings, the Staples Center has swapped out 178 flush urinals for waterless models, reducing annual water usage by 7 million gallons. Like the Eagles, the Florida Mar- lins pro baseball team, in Miami, now uses 50 percent less water via low-flow plumbing fixtures. Also, the stadium’s upgraded landscape design lessens outdoor irrigation needs by 60 percent. The University of Georgia likes
keeping its grass green, but hates waste- ful water dispensers. Its football field is now watered via an underground irriga- tion system that saves a million gallons a year. Soil moisture sensors indicate when watering is needed.
More Creative Practices Lincoln Financial Field, home to the Philadelphia Eagles, now boasts more than 11,000 solar panels and 14 wind turbines that combined, generate more than four times the energy used for all home games in a season. The staff uses green cleaning products and has in-
natural awakenings September 2015 49
creased recycling more than 200 percent since 2010. Most creatively, the carbon costs of team travel are offset via mitiga- tion by financing tree plantings in their home state and purchasing seedlings for a wildlife refuge in Louisiana. The Seattle Mariners Safeco Field’s new scoreboard uses 90 percent less power than its predecessor and the Ari- zona Cardinals pro football team provides bags for tailgating fans to use for recycling. Five NBA arenas have achieved
LEED certification—Phillips Arena (Atlanta Hawks), Toyota Center (Houston Rockets), American Airlines Arena (Miami Heat), Amway Center (Orlando Magic) and Moda Center (Portland Trail Blazers). The goal of a cleaner, healthier
planet is achievable with systemic shifts like these as more pro and collegiate sports teams score green points.
Connect with our freelance writer via
AveryMack@mindspring.com.
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