Athletic sports can include any physical activity that involves skill, fitness, and endurance. Some examples include soccer, football, basketball, baseball, tennis, swimming, and track and field. It is a team sports involving working together to achieve a goal, like scoring points or winning a game. Then there are also individual sports, like track and field, swimming, and tennis. Individual sports are focused on individual performance, and the goal is usually to beat one’s own personal record or compete against others.
There are also extreme sports, like skateboarding and surfing which involves higher levels of risk and skill.
HOW ATHLETIC SPORTS CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
It is important to understand that all human activities have some impact on the environment which is what we study in the Green Switch Academy. This includes things like traveling to athletic events, using electricity to power sports facilities, and manufacturing and disposing of sports equipment. For example, let’s start with travel. Fans and athletes often have to travel from distances to attend or compete in athletic events. This can involve flying, driving and using other forms of transportation that emit greenhouse gases. These emissions contribute to climate change. Next, think about the energy that is used to power sports facilities, like stadiums and gyms. These fossil fuels, also contribute to climate change. There are also some less obvious ways that athletic sports contribute to climate change. One example is manufacturing of sports equipment, like balls, bats, and uniforms. The materials and processes used to make these items can have a significant environmental impact. For example, some sports equipment is made from plastic, which is derived from petroleum. The production and disposal of plastic can release greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
HOW CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS ATHLETIC SPORTS
Climate change has several effects on athletic sports. First, it can cause changes in the environment that affect the safety and comforts of athletes and fans. For example, heat waves and extreme weather events can make outdoor sporting events dangerous or uncomfortable. Second, climate change can affect the availability of resources like water, which is essential for maintaining sports facilities and keeping athletes hydrated. Third, climate change can cause shifts in animal and plant populations, which can impact hunting and fishing sports. Climate change can also shorten the time between seasons, which can have an impact on training schedules and the length of sports seasons. A very notable example of this is the 2019 Nigeria professional football league season. In May of that year, heavy flooding caused matches to be postponed, including the crucial Lagos derby between MFM and Ikorodu united. The floods also damaged the pitch at the Agege Stadium in Lagos, forcing the league to find an alternative venue. This caused a big disruption for players, fans, and the league itself. (You can find the information about this example in News articles from Nigerian News sources, like the Guardian Nigeria and the Punch, you can also read up on “The impact of Climate change on Sports in Nigeria” by Oneniyi Abegunde, published in the journal of sustainable development.)
A PICTURE OF A STADIUM AFFECTED BY FLOOD
THE EXISTING AND RECOMMENDED ATHLETIC SPORTS CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION EFFORTS
The existing efforts include:
1. Increasing energy efficiency in sports facilities, like Stadiums and gyms.
2. Promoting sustainable transportation option for fans and athletes, like public transit and biking.
3. Reducing food waste at sporting events, and promoting sustainable food options.
4. Using recycled and recyclable materials in sports equipment and uniforms.
The recommended effort: These include:
1. Developing and implementing climate change adaptation plans for athletic organizations.
2. Building climate resilience into new and existing sports facilities.
3. Using renewable energy sources, like solar and wind power, to power sports facilities.
4. improving water efficiency and conservation practice at sports facilities.
5. promoting sustainable practices for spectators, like reducing single-use plastics and promoting carpooling.
6. Encouraging eco-friendly athletic apparel, like clothing made from recycled material.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN THE ATHLETIC SPORTS
Opportunities for sustainability in athletic sports at individual level: the first step is to raise awareness about climate change and its impacts on athletic sports. Then, individuals can make changes in their own lives, like using public transportation or carpooling to sporting events, recycling, or buying sustainably made athletic apparel and more.
Opportunities for sustainability in athletic sports at organizational level
- Organizations should set and meet a sustainability goals, like reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
- They should promote sustainable practice among their staff, like using reusable water bottles and encouraging remote work.
- They should invest in substantial infrastructure, like solar-powered stadiums and water efficient landscaping.
- They should encourage and support sustainable practice among their athletes and fans.
- They should use sustainable materials for uniforms and equipment’s. For example, companies like NIKE and ADIDAS have started using recycled materials for production of athletic gear, some sports teams have also stared using uniforms made from bamboo, hemp, and other sustainable fabrics.
- They should implement waste management practice at sports venues.
- They should reduce energy consumption at sporting events. Sport venue can use LED lighting and solar panels to reduce their electricity use. They can also insert smart thermostats and other energy efficient technologies to help reduce lower their carbon footprint. Some have also started using renewable energy.
A CALL TO ACTION
This is a call on individuals and organizations on making change in their own lives.
1. Individuals should reduce their carbon footprint by walking, biking, or taking public transportation to sporting events when possible.
2. Practice the 4Rs, refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle by purchasing used or recycled sporting goods when possible.
3. Support organizations that are working to address climate change and its impact on sports, like the UN Sports Action Framework #PloggingNigeriaClub, #GreenSwitchAcademyXXIV, #SUSPORTUNITIES, and more.
4. Speak up and advocate for policies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our planet, like renewable energy policies and sustainable infrastructure investments.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, climate change is a serious issue, and it is having a significant impact on athletic sports. There are many ways that individuals and organizations can take action to address climate change and its impacts on athletic sports. The future of our planet can be greatly impacted by sports, and addressing climate change is essential for ensuring a sustainable future for sports.
The action we take today will have a lasting impact on future generations and we have a responsibility to take action to protect the environment and ensure the long-term viability of athletic sports.
#PloggingNigeriaClub
#GreenSwitchAcademyXXIV,
#SUSPORTUNITIES
GSAG ATHLETHIC SPORTS TEAM MEMBERS
GSAM: TAIWO AKANDE (TEAM LEAD)
MISS ABUGUJA PERPETUA UJU
MISS NURIYYA ABBA GOMBE
MISS ODEJOBI AYOMIDE OLUWAYINMI.
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