CHAPTER 2
THE ECOLOGICAL BASIS FOR GREENING SPORTS
Nature is the ultimate source of all economic value. No commerce or culture is possible without
clean air and water; fertile topsoil; a chemically stable atmosphere; raw materials for food, energy
and medicine; or the natural processing of waste by the millions of species inhabiting our soil, water
and air. It is the availability of these wells of natural capital that makes sports and other types of
human activities possible. The sports industry’s increasing demand for ecologically better products
can help industrial leaders understand and embrace that goal. The environmental crises we face
are as serious for the future of our economy as they are for the survival of thousands of species,
human cultures, and natural ecosystems across the globe. For more detail on the ecological basis
underpinning the greening of sports, please see chapter two of NRDC’s report “Game Changer:
How the Sports Industry is Saving the Environment” at www.nrdc.org/game-changer.
90%
CALIFORNIA HAS LOST MORE THAN
90 PERCENT OF ITS ORIGINAL WETLANDS,
NEW YORK HAS LOST 60 PERCENT,
FLORIDA MORE THAN 50 PERCENT.
36 STATES
IN 2013, THE U.S. EPA PREDICTS AT LEAST 36 STATES WILL HAVE
LOCAL, REGIONAL OR STATEWIDE WATER SHORTAGES.


NINE OF THE 10 HOTTEST YEARS
EVER RECORDED HAVE BEEN
EXPERIENCED SINCE 2000.
24,000
HEAT RECORDS WERE BROKEN
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES IN
THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2012.
Collegiate Game Changers: How Campus Sport is Going Green | PAGE 16
RECORD DROUGHTS ARE RAVAGING
THE CRITICAL FOOD-GROWING
REGIONS OF OUR NATION AND THE
REST OF THE WORLD.
EACH YEAR, IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE,
3.2 MILLION ACRES
OF OPEN GREEN SPACE ARE PAVED OVER.
90
<1%
MILLION
TONS
PRESERVING THE RAINFOREST ECOSYSTEM
AND THE PLANTS THAT RELY ON IT IS ESSENTIAL
FOR FUTURE MEDICAL DISCOVERIES AND
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS. LESS THAN
1% OF THE WORLD'S TROPICAL FOREST PLANTS
HAVE BEEN TESTED FOR PHARMACEUTICAL
PROPERTIES, YET AT LEAST 25% OF ALL MODERN
DRUGS ORIGINALLY COME FROM RAINFORESTS.
EACH DAY WE ARE ADDING ABOUT 90 MILLION TONS
OF GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTION TO OUR AIR. THESE
EMISSIONS ARE ALREADY AFFECTING COMMUNITIES
AND ECOSYSTEMS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES—
AND ACROSS THE GLOBE.
633
74%
MARINE PLASTIC POLLUTION HAS
IMPACTED AT LEAST 663 DIFFERENT
SPECIES, INCLUDING ALL SEA TURTLE
SPECIES, 1/2 OF MARINE MAMMAL
SPECIES, AND 1/5 OF SEABIRD SPECIES.
SINCE 2006, THE OVERALL NUMBER OF
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES GLOBALLY HAS
GROWN NEARLY 15 PERCENT, REACHING 3,427 SPECIES IN 2010.
3,427
½
3
BY 2025 74 PERCENT OF THE WORLD
POPULATION WILL BE LIVING IN
AREAS WITH WATER STRESS.
BILLION
PEOPLE
IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD, ALMOST 3 BILLION PEOPLE, OR
ABOUT HALF OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION, ALREADY LIVE IN
AREAS OF SEVERE WATER STRESS, AND AN ADDITIONAL
1 BILLION PEOPLE ARE APPROACHING THAT SITUATION.
MOST OF HUMANITY IS NOT FINANCIALLY OR ADMINISTRATIVELY EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH THE
CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE DISRUPTION, INCLUDING THE LOSS OF THEIR HOMES AND HOMELAND.
ONE-THIRD $1 <$2 HALF
OF THE PLANET
OF THE PLANET
LIVES ON A DOLLAR A DAY.
LIVES ON LESS THAN TWO DOLLARS PER DAY.
PAGE 17 | Collegiate Game Changers: How Campus Sport is Going Green
Green Initiatives In Collegiate
Athletics and Recreation
The sports greening movement is helping to bring important environmental messages to mainstream
America through conserving energy and water, recycling, and buying environmentally preferable products.
Collegiate athletics and recreation departments are working with campus facilities and sustainability
staff to make their operations more environmentally efficient, and more financially viable. They are also
telling their many suppliers and fans about their commitment to environmental stewardship. In doing
so, college sport is helping to broaden awareness about challenges facing the future of our energy, food,
and medical systems, among other important environmental issues. The following statistics are based
on a 2013 survey by the University of Arizona designed to help demonstrate the reach of collegiate sports
greening. This information was submitted by staff from 148 institutions, representing approximately
285 sports departments*. (Please see appendix for the full results and survey methodology.)
216
146
83
At least 216 collegiate
sports departments
(97 athletics and
119 recreation) have
installed recycling
infrastructure throughout
their sports facilities.
At least 146 collegiate
sports departments
(60 athletics and
86 recreation) have
invested in more
energy-efficient
practices by upgrading
their lighting and
controls.
At least 83 collegiate
sports departments (30
athletics and 53 recreation)
have implemented an
environmentally preferable
paper purchasing policy
that includes prioritizing
paper with recycled
content.
88
122
23
At least 88 collegiate
sports departments
(41 athletics and 47
recreation) have pursued
LEED green building
design certifications
for new facilities, major
renovations, and/or
existing facilities, with at
least 24 certified sports
venues to date.
At least 122 collegiate
sports departments
(50 athletics and 72
recreation) procure
greener cleaning
products.
23 collegiate sports
departments
(8 athletics and
15 recreation) have
installed onsite solar
energy production
systems.
162
116
27
At least 162 collegiate
sports departments
(68 athletics and
94 recreation) have
installed bike racks
and other infrastructure
to promote bicycle
commuting at their
sports venues.
At least 116 collegiate
sports departments
(50 athletics and
66 recreation) have
upgraded to waterefficient fixtures.
At least 27 collegiate
sports departments (11
athletics and 16 recreation)
have implemented an
environmentally preferable
purchasing policy.
* “Sports department” is defined here as an athletics department, recreation department, or combined athletics and recreation department at an institution of higher education.
These aggregated statistics are based on data collected about green initiatives at 148 institutions, representing approximately 285 sports departments.
Collegiate Game Changers: How Campus Sport is Going Green | PAGE 18
NUMBER OF COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS DEPARTMENTS
0
97
78
70
68
60
50
50
53
50
47
45
61
41
44
41
39
30
34
35
35
30
56
28
31
25
21
23
34
24
21
22
17
15
18
15
16
11
8
10
8
8
7
8
10
5
6
7
25
50
75
100
125
NUMBER OF COLLEGIATE RECREATION DEPARTMENTS
150
175
200
Recycling bins in public spaces
Office recycling program
93 Recycling bins and infrastructure in non-public spaces
94 Bike racks and other infrastructure to promote bicycle commuting
86 Lighting system and controls upgrade
72 Green cleaning products
68 Energy audit
63 Recycling signage throughout sports venues
66 Water-efficient fixtures
67 Custodial staff training on green cleaning practices and products
64 Energy-efficient purchasing policy
41 Shuttle buses to sports events and facilities
55 Programmable thermostats adjusted to minimize energy use
45 Carpooling, mass transit, and other trip-reduction strategies encouraged
47 LEED certifications pursued for new facilities, renovations, and/or existing facilities
49 Low-flow or waterless urinals
53 Environmentally preferable paper purchasing policy
47 Environmentally preferable tissue products
45 HVAC system recommissioning
44 Water supply and demand audit
48 Environmentally preferable office paper products
14 Tailgating recycling program
41 Green cleaning policy
37 Smart irrigation controls
37 Water-efficient equipment
41 Water efficiency policies
37 Paperless programs, ticketing, or other digital alternatives to paper products
25 Student recycling team
28 Hybrid, plug-in, or alternative fuel vehicles in fleet
24 Voluntary storm water management systems
22 Landscaping composting program
20 Public charging stations for electric and/or hybrid vehicles near sports facilities
21 Environmentally preferable printing materials for sports events
15 Composting bins and infrastructure in non-public places
18 ISO 14001, Energy Star, or other certifications pursued for new and/or existing facilities
11 Compostable serviceware
16 Environmentally preferable purchasing policy
GREEN INITIATIVES IMPLEMENTED
17 Public signage for venue visitors
IN COLLEGIATE SPORTS
13 Environmentally friendly field maintenance products and systems
Alternative Transportation
15 Onsite solar energy production systems
Composting
Energy Efficiency
14 Fan/visitor/athlete education about renewable energy
Green Building Design
12 Environmentally preferable furniture and décor
Green Cleaning
11 Renewable energy credits
Paper
7 Composting bins in public facilities
Purchasing
10 Environmentally preferable sports gear and equipment
Recycling
Renewable Energy
9 Onsite wind, geothermal, or other renewable energy production systems
Water Efficiency
6 Composting signage throughout sports facilities
119
99
PAGE 19 | Collegiate Game Changers: How Campus Sport is Going Green