Some pro teams going green to draw attention to environment

Let’s go green! That is a chant that is probably heard in a lot of sports arenas, but that chant is taking on a new meaning.

Thanks to work by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), many professional sports teams are turning at least some attention to greening up their sports in the environmental sense.

The Philadelphia Eagles found that much of the paper products used at their stadium came from a company that was using timber being cut in an eagle habitat. The eagles were in danger and the NRDC said they could help the Eagles protect the eagles and the environment.

The team moved on the issue and now uses recycled products and is looking for other ways to go green.

They have sponsored tree planting programs in Philadelphia in conjunction with schools in the city and players are making public appearances to support the efforts.

That is becoming a story all around sports. Word is MLB is about to go into the green business with the help of NRDC in a program that will involve all major league teams.

When one thinks of the mess after games and all that paper, it is obvious a lot can be done with recycling.

The impetus for leagues and teams to be involved has much to do with global warming. Even with some of the crack pots on the right still wanting to claim there is no such thing, the scientific proof is irrefutable.

The population has finally awakened to the serious problem presented and being on the green side of things is now “in.”

No PR department with any sports teams wants to miss being “in.” If that helps the image of the teams and leagues and makes the world environmentally better, what a deal.

Eben Burnham-Snyder of the NRDC said in a recent press release, “Now we’re seeing teams talk about global warming pollution limits, and the players talk about the earth heating up. And they want to know what they can do to help.”

Somewhere former Maine senator and presidential candidate Edmund Muskie must be smiling.

That leader was far ahead of his time on environmental issues and was the author of the Clean Air and Water Acts that are still the touchstone of environmental regulation. He would have loved the fact sports was becoming a factor in the environmental movement.

Now names like the Phillies’ Chase Utley, the NFL’s Warren Moon and Deion Sanders, and skateboarders Tony Hawk and Bob Burnquist are involved with NRDC to help make sports part of the solution.

Good and none too soon.

Old Town native Gary Thorne is an ESPN and ABC sportscaster.