By: Eddie

We’ve all heard of professional athletes helping out with the community, but many are also keen on doing their part for their environment.  The National Hockey League has led the way with their tremendous efforts to create a greener environment.  In early 2008, they joined forces with GreenLife Organization to start a plan called NHL Green.  With this partnership, the league will help to promote a “green life” and aid in reducing carbon emissions.  They also help spreading the word on going green.

The players themselves have also stepped it up a notch, by signing up for the NHLPA Carbon Neutral Challenge.  Players are urged to purchase carbon offsets, where the money goes towards green projects like wind farms that make clean energy. By funding these greenhouse gas emission reductions, we will help balance (or offset) our impact on the environment. However, these aren’t your everyday carbon offsets.  These are gold standard, the finest quality that you can find.  The NHLPA and the David Suzuki Foundation also challenge fans to do the same.

If that wasn’t enough, some players have adapted their own lifestyles to do their part.  Several players from the Boston Bruins have made it a habit to ride their bikes to the practice rink, and it has been rubbing off on other teammates as well.  Canucks blueliner Willie Mitchell also practices environmental-friendly procedures back at his home in Minneapolis.  He uses wind power for the electricity he uses.  Players such as Matt Bradley (Washington Capitals) and Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks) have also introduced a recycling program in their teams’ locker rooms.

Let’s not forget about our friend from the NBA, Steve Nash who grew up in BC. He is known for being an environmentalist in his own right. With that in mind he worked with Nike to create an environmentally friendly Nike shoe. The Nike Zoom MVP Trash Talk for their Considered Design Collection is made from scrap materials and packaged in a shoebox made from 100% recycled fiber. The Steve Nash Foundation (http://stevenash.org) also encourages living green and you can find some good tips and resources on their website.

As the players have demonstrated, there are many ways to get active in the fight for a greener planet.  Let’s keep global warming at bay, so we can have a great world to live in and enjoy for generations to come. 

For more information visit:

http://topiclinks.boston.com/article/02VY0qo1YT27V?q=Boston+Bruins
(Various player stories, paragraph 3)

http://www.nhl.com/community/nhlgreen/index.html
(NHL Green, paragraph 1)

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/Projects/Hockey/default.asp
(Suzuki/NHL partnership, paragraph 2)

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