World Cup shines spotlight on environmental impact of such events

June 23, 2014By 0 comment

I am, by no means, what you would call a “soccer fanatic.” I played one year in elementary school where I pretty much just ran around, chasing the ball and trying to do whatever my teammates were doing.

I’m sure my parents, who aren’t soccer fans either, sat on the sidelines just cracking up at all of us bunched up and chasing the ball wherever it went, positions and responsibilities thrown out the window as soon as the ball was kicked off.
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But over time I have become more of a fan, to the point that when the United States played Ghana in the World Cup Monday night, I made sure to be at home and on the couch at 6 p.m. sharp, ready to cheer on the Stars and Stripes.

That said, it is always fascinating to me to see how different countries respond to hosting big international sporting events such as the World Cup or even the Olympics. On one hand, having to accommodate the influx of people and visitors for the event is a modern marvel in and of itself. For instance, according to some reports, over 1,300 km of road was built for last winter’s Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

On the other hand, these events can pose major threats to the environment of the countries that host them. The amount of carbon that is generated by all of the international travel that takes place can result in millions of tons finding its way into our atmosphere and some believe that it will be close to 1.5 million tons for this summer’s World Cup alone.

However, there are some great things environmentally that are coming out of this World Cup that worth noting as well. Last week, Japan played and was beaten by the Ivory Coast. As the world watched, Japanese fans – as is custom in their country – spent time cleaning their part of the arena of any trash they generated.

Two of the stadiums built for the World Cup are powered by solar energy and many of the other buildings are either LEED certified or close. In Natal, one of the cities hosting some of the group play matches, the stadium built for the World Cup both collects rainwater, which they hope will cut usage by 40 percent, and they hope that close to 100 percent of the waste generated will be recycled.

All of these highlight a change in policy. As these events are being planned, it has become commonplace to think just as much about the impacts on the environment as the local economy and current residents.

Events that don’t consider the environment are becoming rarer and, generally, will attract negative attention as well. So as you are (hopefully!) celebrating U.S. soccer success over the next few weeks, just know that although these events still place major stress on the environments of the host countries, being “green” and reducing environmental impact are trending up for such events.

Click here to read a column in the Christian Science Monitor about how much energy it takes to put on this year’s World Cup.
1 Ryan-Farley

Ryan Farley serves Bluegrass Greensource in a hybrid role, working as an environmental educator with several outreach specialist responsibilities. Ryan received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Georgetown College and a master’s in recreation and park administration from Eastern Kentucky University. He has worked at wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in Texas and with Kentucky 4-H in various roles. Farley provides educational programs to several Fayette County schools and works with downtown businesses and the greater Lexington community to educate and empower residents to become better environmental stewards.

This article appeared in KY Forward on June 19, 2014.

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It’s not always easy being green with a puppy in the house, but it is important

February 14, 2014By 0 comment

My wife and I were fortunate enough back in November to adopt a beautiful golden retriever that we named Bailey. She just hit the four-month-old mark and is constantly keeping us on our toes as we have adapted our lives around her.

What was once an easy process of getting up and getting ready in the morning now includes an extra meal to be served, walks when the weather is nice and several trips outside to let her do her business. We can’t leave anything on the floor now as she loves to take socks and shoes into her mouth and prance right past us, as if to show off her new chew toys.

 

Bailey (Photo provided)

And as she grows, no food is safe, whether it’s on the coffee table, the dining room table or the counters in our kitchen. Basically everything we do around our house has to be thought about from a new perspective, which is: Can the puppy get to this and if so, will she either try to eat it or destroy it? Needless to say it has been quite an adventure.

As an environmental educator, though, it has also forced me to think about dog ownership from an environmental standpoint. One of the most common thoughts regarding dog ownership, especially with dogs, is their waste. Most people in Lexington are aware that it is law that you must clean up after your dogs on a walk and that you can be cited if you don’t.

What most don’t know is why this is so important. During a rain event, or perhaps through some other means, a lot of that waste ends up in our roads, which means that it eventually washes into our storm drains. Unfortunately, the water that ends up down these drains isn’t cleaned or filtered and, instead, flows directly into streams and creeks throughout the city.

As the waste builds up in these areas it starts to have a negative impact on our water. The waste can spread disease and bacteria as it sits in areas where it shouldn’t or as it flows in the water. That can have a negative impact on the quality of the water itself, putting additional material in the water that can throw off the different components that make up water quality.

Needless to say picking up after a pet is a fantastic way for dog lovers to have a direct impact on their local environment. Here are some other ideas on how to be a green pet owner:

  • When it’s warm out and you’re bathing your dog, rather than running the hose nonstop, fill up a bucket or kiddie pool.
  • If a toy has fallen out of favor, rather than throwing it away, try to find someone else to take it or donate it to a shelter.
  • Likewise, old blankets and towels are always needed at local animal shelters.
  • If you prefer to leave the TV on for the pet at home for the noise, either put it on a timer or try using a radio instead.

As we continue our journey as dog parents I am sure there will be many more lessons either taught or learned from experience, and I hope that finding new ways to limit our environmental impact is one of them.

 

1 Ryan.KYForward

Ryan Farley serves Bluegrass Greensource in a hybrid role, working as an environmental educator with several outreach specialist responsibilities. Ryan received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Georgetown College and a master’s in recreation and park administration from Eastern Kentucky University. He has worked at wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in Texas and with Kentucky 4-H in various roles. Farley provides educational programs to several Fayette County schools and works with downtown businesses and the greater Lexington community to educate and empower residents to become better environmental stewards.

This article appeared in KY Forward on February 13, 2014. 

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Opportunities to learn about environment, how to take care of it, abound

October 3, 2013By 0 comment

A few weekends ago I was fortunate enough to attend the 37th annual Kentucky Association of Environmental Educators conference at the Lake Barkley Lodge down in the western part of the state. It was a fantastic time filled with educational workshops and set in a beautiful part of the state. (If you have never gotten the chance to visit Lake Barkley or Land Between the Lakes, I would highly recommend the long drive. Definitely worth it.)

It was equally exciting to spend time with so many people who understand the value of environmental education and the impact it can have on the lives of others. From professionals like myself, who get to focus on environmental education all the time, to volunteers and school teachers who might not get to spend as much time as they would like, it was great to come together and benefit from the experience of others.

It struck me as I was going from my different workshops and interacting with all of the different people who attended that there really is something for everyone in the environmental education field. As long as you have the desire to learn and teach about the environment as your base, you can take environmental education and plug it in anywhere.

It can be found in obvious places such as schools and with nonprofits, or in less obvious places such as works of art, sports and in businesses. For example, one of the workshops I had the opportunity to take was on eco-graffiti and how artists across the world have used a mixture of moss blended with water a few other materials and have created paintings on the side of brick and concrete surfaces that are alive and grow.

During my time there I enjoyed a trail run and got a chance to canoe, both experiences that offered an opportunity to learn about the environment through both signs and guides. And while networking, it was fascinating to hear about the different ways businesses are learning and interacting with the environment, which not only results in a healthier environment, but also is becoming a standard way to save money and increase profits.

No matter how you look at it, environmental education can be found anywhere and as more people embrace all that it has to offer, hopefully we will all get on the same page about its importance.

1 Ryan-Farley

Ryan Farley serves Bluegrass Greensource in a hybrid role, working as an environmental educator with several outreach specialist responsibilities. Ryan received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Georgetown College and a master’s in recreation and park administration from Eastern Kentucky University. He has worked at wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in Texas and with Kentucky 4-H in various roles. Farley provides educational programs to several Fayette County schools and works with downtown businesses and the greater Lexington community to educate and empower residents to become better environmental stewards.

This article appeared in KY Forward on October 3, 2013.

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