Green Sexy

China's Green Olympics

For years we've been hearing a lot about the air pollution in Chinese cities and the dangers this pollution poses to its cities' residents.  Lately the discussion of Beijing's air quality has shifted to how it will affect the Olympic athletes' performance.  Some endurance athletes have gone as far as pulling out of certain events for fear that their health and their careers will be compromised by the polluted air.

On the flip side, China has been doing all it can to try to make the 2008 Olympic Games the greenest games yet.  How are they planning on achieving this?  According to an August 5th, 2008 press release from the United Nations Environment Programme  (UNEP),  the Chinese government has taken the following environmentally-friendly measures to green up their Olympic venues:

• Solar power is being used to light lawns, courtyards and streets at several venues including the Olympic Village. The National Stadium, where events such as athletics and football will be held, is being lit by a 130 KW photovoltaic system.
• At the 400,000 square metre Olympic Village, reclaimed water from the Qinghe sewage treatment plant is being used for heating and cooling systems – around 60 per cent in electrical savings is anticipated.
• Translucent membranes in the ceilings and walls of the National Aquatics Centre or 'Water Cube' allow in natural light, and specially designed 'beam-pipes' funnel sunlight into corridors, toilets and car parks at venues including the Olympic Green.
  
• In the Olympic Media Village, at least 3,000 cubic metres of rainwater can be captured using water permeable bricks, pipes and wells installed on roofs, roads and green areas.
• The organizers have set a target of achieving a 50 per cent recycling of waste including paper, metals and plastics at venues. A test run, carried out during the 11th World Softball Championships held last year, achieved a nearly 90 per cent recycling.

In addition, the Chinese government has been cleaning up waterways, moving factories from city centers (or even closing some altogether), planting trees to reduce desertification, and moving towards greener energy, like wind power. 

How much of this change is just window-dressing and how much of is a lasting commitment of the Chinese government to its people and its land?  Only time will tell; but at least the Olympics have given China the impetus to change for the greener!

Hot Eco-Friendly Cheerleaders!

So, now that I've got your attention...

The Philadelphia Eagles are releasing an eco-friendly 2008-2009 calendar featuring their 38 cheerleaders wearing swimsuits made from organic or recycled materials (such as plastic bottles) and other alternative textile sources such as bamboo.  This kind of exposure (pardon the pun) for sexy and ecologically-responsible swim wear could create a spike in sales for such items, which can't be a bad thing.  Oh yeah, the calendar is also printed on post-consumer recycled paper.

So guys, when your significant other voices objections to your Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader calendar that you hung up in your garage, just say that you're doing it for the environment. 

Now that's Green-Sexy!

Can You Canoe?

Every year my friends Mark & Jake organize a canoe trip on the Ischua Creek in Ischua, NY.  Some years there have been over 30 people camping at this event; and whether you're an experienced outdoorsman or a novice, all can partake in the joys of canoeing.  For those who don't have their own canoe, my friends have an arrangement with the Boy Scouts to loan a number of their canoes for all to enjoy (thanks, guys)!
Our paddling guide Take A Paddle rates the Ischua Creek as a four out of four paddles (the highest difficulty rating) for "fast current, sharp turns, and a few portages around downed trees", though we found that most of the creek is an easy and relaxing paddle.

What are the benefits of the sport of canoeing?  First of all, there are the physical benefits:  it's a great work out for the back, shoulders, arms, hands and the core muscles.  Secondly, canoeing has a therapeutic effect on the mind, getting you out on the water amidst nature, seeing things from a vantage point that those on the trails or on the road can never see.  Third, it's a way to engage in a sport that has no environmental impact---once you're in the water, it's all you: your muscles, your effort, your skill, your mind!

So, if you're interested in trying out this fun sport, make sure to go out with someone who has canoed before, and try out your skills on some still water, such as a pond or a small lake.  Then when your appetite for adventure is really whetted, get out on a creek or river and let the current take you where it may!

 

Thoroughbred Racing Is Inhumane: Eight Belles and Other Horse Tragedies

I've learned more about thoroughbred racing in the past week than I've known my whole life---and what I've learned disturbs me.  Despite the "sport's" ardent supporters' claims to the contrary, this "sport of kings" seems largely cruel and inhumane.

First of all, let me relate the tale of the filly Eight Belles (a filly is a female horse 3 years old or younger)---the first filly to run against the male colts in the Kentucky Derby since 1999.  She put up a good show, finishing second in the race, but then she collapsed suddenly, having broken both front ankles; a freak occurence, according to race officials.  Eight Belles was euthanized on the spot by lethal injection.  On my local sports talk show on WHAM 1180, there were many callers who theorized that her injury may have been brought about by the fact that she was so young, or that she was inexperienced at racing such a long distance (the race is 1.24 miles).  Whatever the reason, seeing these majestic creatures suffer horrific injuries (ie.- Barbaro) because of our human whim for racing and gambling is just appalling.  As Monical Ball from Peoria, Illinois wrote in a letter to USA Today (Tuesday, May 13, 2008):  "In what other sport would we so happily watch a living being be whipped to make him or her perform better?"  Well put, Monica!

Of course, thoroughbred racing has its defenders---Missy Apmann of Barrington Hills, Illinois wrote in a letter to USA Today (same date):  "...those directly involved with the horses have the best intentions...Eight Belles has not died in vain.  She is a tribute and celebration of the equine spirit."  Yes, Missy---Eight Belles is, in fact, a spirit now.  And as far as those directly involved with the horses having the best intentions, I'm sure there definitely are those who, in Seabiscuit-like fashion, would live and die for their horses, but because of the profit-motive, there are also a lot of scumbags in the "sport" that value their horses only as long as they bring in a dollar value.  Otherwise, it's not economically feasible to care for them, to feed them, to house them, and to train them. 

One thing that American thoroughbred trainers are guilty of is pumping their horses full of drugs as part of their training regimen (harken back to the East German Olympic Athletes or to today's baseball players).  A guest on a recent Newshour interview remarked that "I think the American racing community is, like, addicted to the use of drugs. They -- I don't think trainers would know how to train without them." 

For some reason, Europeans and the Japanese pay top dollar for horse meat.  The May 12, 2008 edition of Realsports on HBO profiled how (some) thoroughbred owners sell off horses who aren't fast or profitable enough to "killer buyers" who transport these horses to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada (it's illegal to slaughter racehorses for meat in the United States).  Concerned horse lovers attend these meat auctions and buy up as many horses as they can, sometimes for just a few hundred bucks, so they can save them from the slaughterhouses and put them up for adoption.  It was just gutwrenching to see these stately creatures getting shot with a bolt gun to the head (multiple times in some cases), getting shot at close range with a shotgun, being strung up while still alive and being gutted, or being stabbed in the spine with a dagger in a Mexican slaughterhouse.  When Realsports reporter Bernard Goldberg later confronted a trainer on why he sold his thoroughbred to a slaughterhouse, the trainer tried to disavow any knowledge of the practice, saying "I don't want to know."  It was brought up in this episode how it is not feasible to adopt out all of the thoroughbreds because there simply aren't enough adoptees adopters, but that thoroughbred owners can pay a $60 fee to have their old horses euthanized "humanely", which is the lesser of two evils when considering their fate in a slaughterhouse. 

Overall, it's just a shame that any of this has to happen.  Can't we humans be satisfied with watching our fellow man engage in sport?  Why do we further have to exert our mastery over the "lower animals" for our entertainment?  Haven't we already done enough damage to our animal brothers and sisters?  Feel free to send a message to your congressman regarding holding hearings on "Problems in Thoroughbred Racing" via PETA's online petition.       

Nationals Stadium---An Eco-Friendly Ballpark?

I'm not much of a baseball fan, but I must admit that I was totally stoked to find out that the Washington Nationals are building a stadium, aptly named Nationals Stadium (slated to open on March 30th, 2008), that is striving "to be the first major stadium in the United States accredited as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ certified ballpark." 

According to an April 2008 Fastcompany.com article, the stadium will feature many Earth-friendly features such as energy-efficient field lighting, a "6,317-square-foot green roof over a concession area (that) is planted with about 1,200 drought-resistant sedums", and a revolutionary waste-water system that filters out organic debris and, according to engineers, "water that has gone through the system is cleaner than the water in the nearby Anacostia River."  In addition, the stadium comes complete with an "in-house recycling center is equipped with four 34-cubic-yard dumpster-compactors, big enough to handle the glass, metal, and plastic recyclables generated during one three-day home stand."

This development will set an industry standard that will definitely affect the building practices of stadiums to come.  Heck, come spring/summer 2008, you may just find me rooting on the Nationals (even if it's just to be able to glimpse their awesome green stadium!). 

The Washington Nationals building and playing in a LEED-certified stadium?  Now that's one Green Sexy play!

Six More Weeks of Winter---A Triumph for Winter Sports!

So, Punxsutawney Phil said that there will another six weeks of winter and I'm glad!  Today was the first day that my wife and I were able to go out cross country skiing this winter.  It seemed like all other opportunities we've had this winter, the temperature was too warm, or the holidays and other commitments sucked up all of our time. 

One thing that I want you to ponder this winter is that when it comes to Winter Sports---try to be your own engine!  What I mean is that there are a lot of winter sports that require no gasoline and no engines.  Cross country skiing is one choice.  Downhill skiing is a decent choice too.  Snowshoeing is a fun and relaxing option.  Winter jogging is always a blast.  Sledding is a good time (as long as you don't get run over!).  Even ice fishing might be an interesting venture!

Snowmobiling, on the other hand, is not only a waste of gas, but it's also environmentally unfriendly and largely unnecessary.  There are those who need to use snowmobiles because they live in remote locations or are park rangers or something, but the average person has absolutely no need of a snowmobile.  Snowmobiling is NOT A SPORT (just like NASCAR is not a sport)!  Winter is a peaceful time; a time of renewal and serenity.  Snowmobiles cut through this serenity with the delicacy of a chainsaw carving up a Thanksgiving turkey. 

So go green---be your own engine this winter.  Get connected with the ground, the snow, the cold; you've only got six weeks left!  Get up and get out there and enjoy what's left of winter!