Sports & Outdoor

With recreational and commute biking sprinting faster into public popularity, the option of a bamboo bike is future-retro appealing and very eco-friendly. They are available from a number of vendors at conventional prices. The first bamboo bikes were built back in the 1890’s.

Makers of day packs, lumbar packs and full-size backpacks are starting to take recycling seriously—crafting entire packs out of 100% recycled PET (plastic polyethylene bottles) material. The supply company Mountainsmith is adding a fully recycled series of packs to its 2008 line.

Ski resorts in the U.S. (and the world) view themselves as chic poster boys for global warming. With temperatures rising, one of the first visible phenomenon is less snow at resort-level altitudes. Projections in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains and the Rockies look at 5-6 degree temperature increases by 2100 if global warming is not dramatically reduced. Snow pack would fall by 89%. Ski resorts have embraced anti-global warming politics and measures with a bear hug.

A recent article on slate.com confronted the environmental impact of the major American spectator sports.  Though no definitive answer is provided, the article brings up a salient point for eco-conscious sports fans to consider: What is the environmental impact of your favorite sport?

The Boston Red Sox have announced plans to green Fenway Park in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council. A souped-up recycling program and improved refuse removal are already on the agenda, and the team is looking into a joint solar program with Keyspan Energy. Aramark, the firm responsible for managing concessions at Fenway, will begin serving locally grown organic produce and hot dogs.