On the Ball: Fore!

The greening of golf, baseball, and the Olympics, oh my!

Posted by Sarah K. Burkhalter at 1:00 PM on 14 Apr 2008

Read more about: sports | China | air pollution | solar voltaic power | energy

Your sports roundup for the week:

golfball Golf: Golf's reputation is far from green -- but tee-ers are trying their darnedest to move in a green direction. That includes Augusta National Golf Course, current host of the Masters tournament. The club is not on the list of some 300 courses that have received a stamp of approval from Audubon International (thanks in part to notorious privacy), but it has taken significant steps toward being more sustainable (thanks in part to notorious deep pockets): It has stopped putting dye in its ponds, monitors the weather and adjusts maintenance accordingly, and has taken steps to reduce pesticide and water use.

Baseball: Fenway Park, having already declared its aim to deserve its Green Monster moniker, will install a bunch of solar panels. Wanna know how much solar energy is being generated at the San Francisco Giants' AT&T Park right this red-hot minute? Done.

Beijing Olympics: The hubbub over pollution in the leadup to the Olympics has been somewhat obscured by the hubbub over Tibet. But to bring you back to pollution for a moment: Marathoner Paula Radcliffe says reports that she's concerned about air quality in Beijing have been overstated, and that she's more concerned about heat and humidity.

Want to get a taste of the competition? Challenge yourself!

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2 Comments | Post a Comment

What? No sheep?

As I understand Golf, it was founded as a game played by shepherds as they followed their flocks of sheep. That's why they expect to find the ball.

Nowadays on golf courses the grass is fertilized by one machine, watered by another, and cut by a third. Then we throw the grass away.

I say for Golf to claim green cred they need to go back to mowing the fairway with wooly critters and playing in kilts.

Fair's, fair.

Put the Carbon Back

by Pangolin at 10:49 PM on 14 Apr 2008

olympics

I've been wondering, if Beijing fails in its attempt the "clear the air" before the games, and the American viewing public sees on television what's it store for America itself unless we take intrepid action now, starting with a rigorous carbon price and that moratorium on coal plant construction Hansen is pushing, could this be the "tipping point" in public opinion we've been waiting for.

Just one of several interesting possibilities for these olympics.

by Russ at 12:27 AM on 15 Apr 2008

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