The Eagles Soar for the Planet!

Before I start, I have to say I'm really sorry for disappearing. I've been completely overwhelmed with school, internships and my job and completely neglected my blog, my baby! This blog is so important to me and I never wanted to rush just for the sake of posting something. So, instead of half-assing it, I took a short break....

Needless to say, I'm back and feeling more motivated than ever! I've made a pact with myself to make time for this blog every week no matter what. Now that I've cleared my conscious, I think it's time to get back to the green sports!

For those of you who don't know me, I'm a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan. I know, I know, I'm from New York but it's true. The only real explanation I can offer is my childhood friend Jeremy. If you met him, you'd understand why. His enthusiasm is literally contagious! Not to mention he has some pretty awesome halftime dance moves!

Anyway, I'm beyond excited to see the Eagles play the 49ers on Sunday. I know I'm going to be one of the only people rooting for them at Candlestick Park, BUT in my opinion, the Eagles are a team that all sports fans should root for. Not because they are awesome (which they are!) but because they are one of the greenest teams on the planet -- and I don't mean their jerseys!

In 2003, the owners, Christina and Jeffrey Lurie launched the Eagles "Go Green" campaign. The campaign's mission is to, "create and sustain championship performance on the field and in the community through practices that promote the quality of life, green the environment, and improve one's impact on the planet."

So what resulted from this ground-breaking campaign? MAJOR TOUCHDOWNS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT!

Since the list is so extensive, I've decided to just give you a rundown of some of the best.

So here are the Eagles top Green Game Changers....

2003:

The Eagles launch their Go Green campaign, an unprecedented committed to the environment by a professional sports team.

2004:

The Eagles work with the NRDC to improve their Go Green campaign which, led to some very innovative, sustainable practices such as...

Recycling cooking fat for conversion to biodiesel & powering the stadium scoreboard with solar energy panels.

2005:

The Eagles and St. Louis Rams play in the first ever "climate-neutral" game in NFL history!
-Both teams offset all of the greenhouse gas emissions from the day's stadium operations.

2006:

The Eagles lead by example and encourage stadium vendors join their green team!
-Aramark switched from plastic to corn-based products, which biodegrade within 45 days....SCORE!
-In football terms, the amount of plastic that would fill half of a football field is diverted from landfill thanks to the switch.

2007:

The Eagles partner with the PPL Corporation and install solar panels at their work and practice facility to convert energy from the sun into electricity.
-The solar innovation was the first of its kind in Pennsylvania!

The Eagles become the first organization to reimburse employees who sign up for Wind Energy.
-That means no out-of-pocket cost for employees who opt to go green!

2008:

The Philadelphia Eagles become the first NFL team to operate solely on clean energy!
-They purchased 15 million kilowatts of wind power to allow the team to run on 100% renewable energy at both Lincoln Financial Field and their training facilities.

2009:

With the help of the Conservation Fund, the Eagles offset 100% of the greenhouse gas generated by team travel by planting trees in the Eagles Forest. Oh yeah, they have a forest!

100% of the Eagles football and corporate operations were powered by renewable energy from the sun and wind.

2010:

The Eagles make their annual contribution to the "Go Zero Program" to offset their carbon emissions for the 2010 regular season.
-The contribution supports the planting of 563 bottomland hardwood seedlings at Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana.

As you can see, the Eagles are serious about going green and really are a team scoring points for the planet. They even have a place on their website to help Eagles fans offset their travel to the games! You should definitely check out the Eagles Go Green website for all of the other ways they've gone green because they're doing some pretty amazing things.

GO EAGLES and GO GREEN!!!!!!!!!!

Tennis Time: Add Environment!

As a New Yorker, tennis fan, and tennis player, it's impossible for me not to love this time of year. It's when the Flushing-bound 7 train becomes my best friend. It's when getting home at 2am is a great thing because it means I caught a great match. Yep, it's finally here...it's US Open time baby!!!

Even though I'm living across the country and going to experience the action for the first time in as long as I can remember entirely on TV, I still have the same tennis fever!

With the rankings set and only three days to go until the Open officially begins, it should come as know surprise that this week's Green Gladiator comes from the tennis world. I actually can't think of a better fit considering she has been instrumental in greening the US Open and the Open's home is even named after her! For those non-tennis fans out there, let me be more specific, this week's Green Gladiator is the tennis legend, Billie Jean King!

Billie Jean King is arguably the best female tennis player to ever play and has a tremendous amount of respect around the world. Although I admire her athletic ability, I'm also a big Billie Jean fan because of her environmental work. She understands the power of sports and uses that platform to "win back our planet!"
In 2007, she, along with Ilana Kloss, Pam Derderian and Nancy Becker, developed the GreenSlam initiative. GreenSlam's mission is to use the power of sports to inspire socially responsible change that has positive environmental impacts.

Through programs like the GreenSlam/GreenTernship program and their partnership with the NRDC, GreenSlam is already making a difference!

Billie Jean King's work doesn't stop there. She is the ambassador for the United States Tennis Association's environmental efforts, and helped launch the US Open's comprehensive "green" initiatives two years ago. The initiatives aim to get all the athletes and fans to reduce, reuse, recycle and to turn the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world in the most environmentally conscious. I like it!!

She has also done a ton of PSA's with the USTA and the NRDC that focus on the environment because what better way to bring about real change than through a professional athlete? Here is one of the videos!



Billie Jean King has proven that she isn't just a tennis champion, she is also a champion for the planet. She without a doubt deserves to be this week's Green Gladiator!

And just because it's Friday and I'm so excited for the US Open, here is a fun video for your enjoyment. Have a great weekend!

Green Gladiator of the Week: Marcos Diaz

Hello and Happy Friday!!

This week's Green Gladiator is actually an athlete that I knew nothing until this week. I've been very interested in the UN's Millennium Development Goal's and how sports are playing a huge role in helping ensure they are achieved. This summer offered an unprecedented opportunity with the World Cup in Africa and many athletes, teams and organizations utilized the powerful, international platform to raise awareness for the MDG's.

Last night I came across one athlete who dove head first into the water (literally!) to bring global attention to the Millennium Development Goals. He is a true gladiator who realizes the power he has as an athlete to help save our planet. This week's Green Gladiator, and one of my new favorite athletes, is Marcos Diaz!

Diaz is a long distance open water swimmer from the Dominican Republic who works with environmental organizations like Reef Check DR to preserve his country's coastal eco-systems. In addition to his environmental work for his country, he is also committed to helping the UN reach all of their MDG's by 2015, especially ensuring environmental sustainability!

To raise awareness and to urge people to act and demand that our leaders deliver their promises by 2015, Marcos has embarked on a truly remarkable journey. Swim Across the Continents is Diaz's way of helping the UN achieve their Millennium Development Goals.

He is currently swimming across 5 continents to unite people from around the world by showing we really aren't that far apart. He hopes his swim will "inspire us all to take a new look at our planet, to stand up and act to make a real difference, and to demand real political change for humanity."

He has definitely inspired me and I hope he has done the same for you.

Here's a great video I found that focuses on the environmental sustainability MDG and Diaz's swim.



Congratulations to our amazing Green Gladiator of the Week, Marcos Diaz!! And just in case you're interested, he has already completed the swim from Australia to Asia and the swim from Asia to Africa. He's currently swimming from Africa to Europe and is due to arrive in Tenerife, Spain any day! Way to go Marcos!!

The Buvera Ball Project!

Before you read any further, please take a minute to read my earlier post, "Green at the end of the tunnel" so we are all on the same page. Come on, just do it!

Assuming you took my advice, welcome back!

So as you can see, Mike Zuckerman accomplished quite a bit while in Uganda. It's hard to believe that he was only there for a month! Even though he's back, his efforts aren't going to waste...no pun intended! The village continues to gather for weekly cleanups and is committed to making their environment cleaner and more sustainable.

I was lucky enough to get him in the studio last week to talk about his experiences and in my opinion his most noteworthy program, The Buvera Ball Project. The Buvera Ball Project is an incredible program that combines sports and sustainability! Check out the video below to hear more from the project's founder, Mike Zuckerman.

Going Green for the Gulf

At the end of a week in which the Gulf Coast oil leak was FINALLY plugged, I wanted to focus on professional athletes that have been vocal throughout the catastrophe.

This week, I've chosen two athletes to share the title of "Green Gladiator of the Week." Considering they are married I decided it's ok. World Class Surfer Laird Hamilton and Volleyball Champion Gabrielle Reece are both fierce athletes who bring their competitive edge to their environmental work. Their motivation and commitment to saving the environment (especially our oceans!) is why they are this week's Green Gladiators!

Earlier this summer the couple toured the Gulf Coast with the NRDC and witnessed the tremendous devastation firsthand.















Here is a video they made with the NRDC after the trip. It's VERY powerful and inspiring!



While Hamilton the Reece aren't the only athletes working to protect the ocean and cleanup the Gulf, they definitely stand out from the crowd. What really impresses me is their awareness and ability to communicate the bigger issue; ensuring a disaster like this never happens again. Reece said it best in her blog, "This isn't just about how we clean up the Gulf, but how we can get policies passed in government to legally protect other places."

I couldn't agree more and hope that Hamilton and Reece continue their passionate work for our planet and help bring about real change in our energy policies. Thank you Laird Hamilton and Gabrielle Reece and congratulations on being named this week's Green Gladiators!

Fantasy Football Time!

With NFL training camps in full swing, and my fantasy football draft behind me, it's impossible not to have football on the mind. Amidst my hours of draft preparation I came across one player that really stood out. As one of the biggest, most powerful fullbacks in the NFL he's every defensive line's worst nightmare. However, it was his work off the field that really caught my eye and secured him the title of Green Gladiator of the Week.

This week's Green Gladiator is Ovie Mughelli, the starting fullback for the Atlanta Falcons. Mughelli is passionate about the environment and wants to help preserve the earth for future generations. He's a force to be reckoned with both as a Falcon and an environmental activist!

In 2007, Mughelli started the Ovie Mughelli Foundation with a mission to improve the quality of life for underprivileged children in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina; in Baltimore Maryland, where he began his NFL career as a Raven; and in his current community, Atlanta, Georgia. The foundation seeks to, "empower the youth to take ownership and pride about their lives and the roles that they play in society."

Mughelli soon realized that the key to improving the quality of life in those neighborhoods was to teach the children how to go green. Mughelli believes that by educating the children, that the sustainable messages will touch households, neighborhoods and eventually the world!

Through programs like the Green Speaking Series and Football/Environmental Camps, the foundation teaches children the benefits of becoming more environmentally conscious and how they can make changes in their daily lives.

Although most of Mughelli's environmental efforts are made through his foundation, he recently joined a group of athletes on a tour through the devastated Gulf Coast. After the experience, Mughelli wrote a heartfelt article in which he describes what he saw and calls for change and clean energy. The article is extremely well written and shows how committed and authentic he is with his environmental causes.

Ovie Mughelli is a true "Green Gladiator" who realized his ability as an NFL player to bring about positive change for the environment. I can't wait to watch him both on and off the field this fall. I'm definitely going to be rooting for him even though he isn't on my fantasy football team!

A Gladiator for our Mountains!

While last week's Green Gladiator, Kelly Slater, spends his time surfing and protecting our oceans this week's Green Gladiator prefers fresh powdered snow and half-pipes.

This week's Green Gladiator is professional snowboarder, Jeremy Jones. The eight-time Big Mountain Snowboarder of the Year is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the slopes.

As an avid snowboarder for the last 25 years, Jones has seen first-hand the impact of climate change on our mountains. The "definitive changes" like shorter winter seasons and less snow, motivated Jones to take action to protect his livelihood.

In 2007, Jones founded Protect our Winters with the hopes of uniting and engaging the global snow sports community to lead the fight against climate change. Through education, activism and supporting community-based initiatives, Protect Our Winters, aims to have a direct influence on climate change and ensure that winters are here for future generations.

Protect our Winters list of programs and initiatives is very impressive (and extensive!) and shows the power of many athletes working together towards a common goal. One of Protect Our Winter's 2010 Programs/Initiatives is, Athletes United Against Climate Change. The goal of the program is to, "unify all winter sports athletes to use their collective influence to change consumer behavior, speak with once voice and set examples in personal carbon reduction. We provide athletes with the tools to leverage their influence to effect change globally."

Here's a great example of how Protect Our Winters does just that!



Congratulations and thank you for all that you do Jeremy Jones!! Your Green Gladiator of the Week title is well deserved.

Going Green in the Great Big Blue!

It's Friday, so you know what that means...

Yep, it's time to announce the Green Gladiator of the Week!

Since it's summer and all I want to do right now is be at the beach, I feel it's appropriate for this week's athlete to be a true gladiator for our planet's beaches and oceans.

Congratulations to this week's Green Gladiator, Kelly Slater!!

Slater isn't just a 9x world champion surfer, he's also a champion advocate for beaches and oceans. In 2007, Slater founded the Kelly Slater Foundation to raise awareness and financial support for socially and environmentally conscious charities. Through his foundation, Slater has truly made a difference for beaches around the world!

Here are just a few of the things Slater has done in the last few years. It should come as know surprise how much he has already accomplished considering the competitiveness and unrivaled stamina he brings to the sport.

The video below is from the Kelly Slater Foundation's Inaugural Benefit in 2008. The Benefit raised over $350,00 for Surfrider Foundation's Save Trestles campaign. FYI - The Save Trestles campaign successfully kept the toll road from being built! Way to go guys!



Kelly recently did a PSA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration "Please Care" campaign in which he asks for our help in protecting our oceans.



Slater hosts an annual "Kelly Slater Invitational" which raises funds for Reef Check and other related causes.

As you can see, Slater is truly a "Green Gladiator" and an amazing example of how athletes can make a difference. Thank you Kelly Slater!!!

And just for some Friday fun, here are two Kelly Slater videos worth watching! Enjoy!

Green at the end of the tunnel...

When I heard about the bombings in Kampala, Uganda my heart stopped. Mike Zuckerman, one of the most important people to me, has been there screening the World Cup games to a local village through the Kampala 2 Cape Town Project. The thought of anything happening to him was heartbreaking.

Even though I was able to speak to him and hear he was safe, I couldn't sleep that night. I was devastated. I'm still devastated. All I can think about is how thankful I am it wasn't at his screening but at the same time, how terrible I feel for those who lost loved ones. I'm still in shock about it. It's just hard for me to comprehend that a group could be filled with so much hate that they would bomb innocent people during the World Cup Finals; one of the most unifying and positive events in the world.

Through Mike, I've seen and heard how positive the World Cup has been for Kampala. Mike has been there providing the village of Kyebando with a safe, community friendly space to watch the World Cup.



Given the excitement throughout Kampala for the first World Cup played on African soil, the screenings were always packed! Mike soon realized the powerful and uniting platform the World Cup created and used the screenings to inspire positive change in the village.



He used halftime to educate the crowd on the environment and inspire them to be more environmentally conscious. Through a variety of community projects, Mike taught the village how to go green! He successfully organized four village cleanups, planted trees, set up recycling and composting programs, and even helped find a solution to the overwhelming plastic waste problem! Mike and Charles Nsawo came up with a way to turn all of the plastic waste (which is literally thrown along every street) into something useful....plastic soccer balls! Together, they developed the "Buvera Ball Project" which recycles the plastic waste, cleans up the streets, AND enables children to play soccer.





Here are some really great videos on the Buvera Ball Project! They've definitely helped me feel better today.









So as you can see, over the last five weeks I've only associated the World Cup with positive change for Kampala. Although I'm still overwhelmed with sadness, I know that Mike has brought so much joy to the village. Generations to come will have a cleaner and more sustainable environment because of his efforts. While the bombers chose to use the World Cup as a means to terrorize innocent soccer fans, Mike spent the last five weeks using it to spread peace, love and environmental sustainability.

Green Gladiator of the Week: Houston Rocket Yao Ming!

Since a big part of my blog is spreading the best green messages and practices of athletes, I've decided that every Friday I'm going to highlight one that has made a positive contribution to the planet. He or she will be the "Green Gladiator" of the week. Please feel free to make suggestions for future Fridays!

To start off the "Green Gladiator" tradition I decided to go with someone who has publicly stood up for something I feel VERY passionate about. For those of you who don't know me well, here's a little secret...I LOVE ELEPHANTS! I think they are the most adorable and lovable creatures out there. Nothing in the world would make me happier than a baby elephant, I'm serious.


Unfortunately, poachers around the world kill elephants for their valuable ivory. Not only are they depleting the elephant population, but they also leave baby elephants orphaned. Luckily there are places like The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust that rescues the orphans and takes care of them until they are ready to return to the wild.

Poaching is a serious problem and is impacting ecosystems around the world which is why it's so important for athletes to use their fame to help solve the problem. Fortunately, one athlete has and that's why Yao Ming is the "Green Gladiator" of the week. Yao Ming has denounced illegal poaching and did a PSA for WildAid. He also spoke out against the hunting of sharks for their fins which is a delicacy in his native China. He's a great example of how athletes can use their celeb status to help save our planet. Thank you Yao Ming!!

Here are two great videos of the Green Gladiator of the week Yao Ming that he made with WildAid.





I hope that Yao Ming inspires people around the world to stop buying ivory and shark fins. The "delicacies" simply aren't worth it and should be seen for what they really are, fragments of a murdered animal.

2 Points for the Environment!

It's a great time to be a sports fan. I seriously don't have enough time in my day to watch and read everything that's going on! There's the World Cup Semi-finals, the Tour de France, and not to mention the NBA free agency circus. Where is LeBron James going to end up?? The New York girl inside of me is hoping to see him in blue and orange this season. I haven't had a solid team to root for in the Garden since the Ewing, Starks and Oakley days! Please LeBron, New York needs you!

I'm sorry for the digression but the thought of LeBron James in a Knick's jersey is just too good to be true. Back to the green talk!

Two big stories to report on this week.

The first, Formula One Racing is committing to reducing the carbon emissions produced by the sport. The plan is to reduce total carbon emissions by 12.4% by 2012 and to require all cars to use technologies designed to enhance fuel efficiency by 2013.

The second, thanks to Dixon Golf, Golf is going green!



The Dixon Earth is a new golf ball that is 100% recyclable and doesn't pollute our water with metal like traditional golf balls! Dixon even has a recycling program intact so consumers can send in their old golf balls (Dixon and other brands) and get a discount on new Dixon Earth golf balls. Finally some products that take the golf greens into consideration!

Here's a great video of Marcus Edblad and Mikael Lindblom, both Longdrivers of Stockholm, both going green!

World Cup Fever!

Feeling lost without a football game to watch? I certainly am! After 19 days of straight play I feel lost without the World Cup. Well here's a scorecard you probably haven't thought about yet, the environmental score of the 2010 World Cup. Since we have time to kill before the quarterfinals let's take a look.

Sporting events like the World Cup and Olympics provide a powerful international stage for spreading sustainable practices. In my opinion, an opportunity that shouldn't be wasted. So, has South Africa stepped up to the plate? I think so.

South Africa developed the Green Goal 2010 in hopes of reducing carbon emissions and to green the World Cup and their country for generations to come. Here is a link to the official press release on the program.

My personal favorite is the Green Passport Program.

In addition to South Africa's initiatives individuals teams are also being environmentally responsible. 11 teams announced they will offset the emissions caused by their participation in the event. While any offsetting is better than nothing, I'd like to especially thank Chile, England, Republic of Korea and Serbia for committing to their own offsetting. The other 7 are sponsored by PUMA. I can't mention PUMA without applauding the company for all it is doing this year for the environment. PUMA partnered with the UNEP to to develop Play for Life which supports the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity.

The idea is to use football to raise awareness about habitat and species conservation. Here's a great video of Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA announcing the partnership and talking about their efforts at the World Cup.



And because the African Unity Kits would be nothing without the professional football players who wear them here's the PUMA Africa Unity Kit Video with the athletes!



All in all, I must say that the 2010 World Cup seems to be scoring high for the environment. But the final score won't be known until after the games.

Let the games begin!

Hello! I'm very excited to get this blog started. This is something I've wanted to do for awhile...combine my two passions, sports and saving the world!

Here's a little history before the games begin!

I love sports! I love watching them, playing them and reporting on them. At the same time I feel very passionate about the environment. While sports journalism is my career, I feel simply reporting on the stats and scores of games isn't enough. So many athletes, teams and leagues are making strides both in their sport and for the planet and I want to make sure they are being recognized. I guess you can say I'm wearing an environmentally conscious helmet in my game of life.

I truly believe there is no better way to bring about change than through sports. Sports cut across cultural boundaries and bring together people of all demographics. Just think about the audience the Superbowl attracts! This unique international stage is perfect for spreading sustainable messages. Sports unite and inspire people to do their best and I'd like to make sure the best ideas for saving our planet are read and heard. Professional athletes are in a unique position to make powerful statements about sustainability and to lead by example and I plan to help disseminate their messages.

That is what my blog is all about. Spreading the positive messages and examples by players, teams and leagues, so even more people will be inspired to change. We are all part of the same planet so let's work together as a team and score points for our environment!