Lots of groups have issued plans to help fight climate change–Greenpeace supporters, politicians, whale lovers — and now, professional hockey players.
The National Hockey League released a report Monday detailing how they intend to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and earning the “honor” of being the first professional sports league to have calculated its carbon footprint.
The league fears that its current carbon practices are already directly impacting the next generation of hockey players. And if anyone should be worried about rising global temperatures, it would be the guys who strap glorified knives to their feet and hang out on frozen lakes and ponds. Hockey is not meant to be a splashing sport.
The 2014 Sustainability Report was the product of nearly two years of research into the energy usage and waste management practices at 30 NHL arenas around North America. The report found that each NHL game emits 408 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equal to about 900,000 gallons of gasoline.
Save that fact for your next trivia night.
In an attempt to make the league more sustainable, the NHL is working with teams to increase energy efficiency at all of their arenas through changes to their lighting and HVAC systems, reducing energy demands in the buildings through heat-reflective surfaces, and increasing the use of on-site alternative energy.
“As a business, we rely on freshwater to make our ice, on energy to fuel our operations and on healthy communities for our athletes, employees and fans to live, work and play. Moreover, to continue to stage world class outdoor hockey events like the NHL Winter Classic, NHL Heritage Classic or NHL Stadium Series, we need winter weather,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in statement.
He has a point. Hockey isn’t hockey without freezing fingers, ruddy cheeks and being able to see your breath. More than that, it’s about slapshots, breakaways, dramatic checks, and occasional trips to the “sin bin.” It’s a sport, not a statement.
