In 2019, the World Championship Marathon in Doha was scheduled for midnight to avoid the scorching sun. That same year, players at the Rugby World Cup in Japan waded through knee-deep water after Typhoon Hagibis, the wettest storm on record in Japan, dumped 240mm of water on Tokyo. I arrived at the pitch.
From snowless winters to sweltering summers, the world of sport is feeling the effects of climate change, with many health, business and performance risks going unaddressed, sports ecologists say. Madeline OrrAssistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) at the University of Toronto.
in her book Warming up: How climate change will change sportsOrr will share stories of athletes, teams and events directly affected by climate change, explore the impact of sport on the planet, and suggest actions sports sectors can take to adapt.
Writer Elena Damjanovich We recently sat down with Orr, who will be attending the book launch on May 9th at the Goldring High Performance Sports Center, to discuss her book, her research, and how she is optimistic in the fight against climate change. We talked about how we maintain
What attracted you to this field of research?
There are many ways to become a sports ecologist.Some people enter [the field] Some focus on sports through aspects of sports science (kinesiology, physiology, coaching), starting with natural resource science, environmental studies, hydrology, and climatology.
My training was a bit of both, with the opportunity to work across different faculties during graduate school to learn how to read, interpret, and develop climate models and how to measure the impacts of different climate disasters. I feel lucky to have had it. Extreme heat, humidity, wildfires, and more can impact athlete health and performance, as well as the business side of sports.
How will climate change change sports, both directly and indirectly?
I spend about 200 pages of this book answering that question, but if I had to break it down into a few buckets it would be: Extreme heat impacts the health and performance of athletes and the well-being of everyone involved in sports. Coaches, referees, fans. Droughts and floods create unstable and sometimes unhealthy playing fields in different parts of the world. Wildfires are wreaking havoc on air pollution, even in vast tracts of land far from the flames. And winter sports are suffering as climate change makes winters shorter and less predictable.
All sports rely on clean air, clean water and safe places to play, so it's important to think about climate change in the context of sports. Weather disasters can lead to cancellations, delays, damages, health problems, and even death for athletes.
Does sport itself have a negative impact on the environment?
Sport, especially at the elite and professional level, is organized geographically, based on interregional and international travel. The business model of sports is based on tourism. Teams and events want people to come from out of town or spend money at restaurants and other hospitality services near the venue. Therefore, the movement of teams, referees, media, fans and many others creates a significant carbon footprint.
In another sense, sports create a lot of waste. As an example, consider how many sports products are made from carbon fiber. It's found in hockey sticks, bicycles, bats, boats, skis, rackets, nets, and the list goes on. It's a great product because it's strong and light, but it's not recyclable, so any cracks in carbon fiber equipment make it unusable, and in the case of bicycles and boats, it must be removed immediately for safety. reason.
Another example is sports equipment. Think of all the clothing and shoes we buy to support our sports practices. Most are made of sweat-wicking polyester. But even if the product you buy says it's made from recycled materials, it's still made from plastic, which makes it very difficult to recycle. Polyester can usually be recycled once, but once the quality of the material deteriorates, it becomes difficult to recycle it again. Taking all of this into account, sports generate a large amount of material that cannot be recycled or reused, making it a huge source of waste.
How can sports organizations, managers, coaches, athletes, and fans reduce the risks associated with climate change and reduce their own environmental footprint?
That's a big question, and I spent many pages in this book addressing it. First, it's important to put safety first, with policies and emergency procedures to keep athletes, as well as staff, coaches, fans, and volunteers safe, while playing sports in dangerous conditions such as extreme heat and wildfire smoke. This means that you need to adopt. The other is coordinating facilities and schedules to avoid the worst weather disasters.
Reducing your environmental footprint typically involves traveling less, such as carpooling to practice with other kids on your team or taking public transportation when attending a professional sporting event. However, there is much more that individuals and sporting organizations can do when it comes to reusing and recycling, which is also explained in this book.
How do you maintain your optimism?
I don't think it can remain unchanged. That's the only way to do it. I have no illusions that sports, especially professional and elite sports, will be the vanguard of this initiative, but there is a huge platform in this sector that will inspire not only subsequent fans but also its entire supply chain. It is possible to give . When sport has used its platform in the past, it has sparked major public debates on issues such as gender equality. Think of Billie Jean King and the recent efforts of the women's soccer team. And racial injustice – I think the Black Lives Matter boycott of 2020, before that it was Colin Kaepernick, before that it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Sports have a rich history of being the focus of great discussion and debate. And I think climate change can do the same thing again.
Finally, how do you respond to those who tell athlete activists to “stay in their lane”?
There will always be trolls and haters. I say ignore them.George Monbiot, environmental reporter guardian, once said: Each of us, almost as a matter of course. Hypocrisy is the gap between your desires and your actions. ” And that resonates with me too. I try to remind athletes and other activists that no one will pass the purity test for climate action. We all have a carbon footprint and have the right to make more sustainable choices, but this is not the case. all Choices – because some are expensive and others are out of our control. So, free yourself from the hook of being perfect, ignore the trolls and keep sharing your concerns with the world.
