All the News That’s Fit

4.27.08 How did you spend Earth Day? Did you attend a rally? Were you a bit more conscious about what you recycle? Did you change a few light bulbs to compact florescents? Perhaps you rode you bike to work? That’s great - every little bit helps.
What the Planet needs, however, is not one Earth Day a year but 365. And if we are going that far, let’s make it Earth Decade. On second thought, let’s go for Earth Century.
What’s my point? One day is not enough to change habits - a year or a decade is.
So when you fly to that next business meeting or vacation destination, offset your greenhouse gas emissions (atmosfair.org is a good carbon offset site to use but you make your own decision).
The next time you’re in the market for a new car, don’t buy that SUV, buy a hybrid (or electric, or hydrogen, or fuel cell) car.
And when you buy a new home, pass on that 8,000 square foot McMansion, and buy something that requires less energy to heat and cool.
And as an athlete, the next time you are looking for a race or event — be it a triathlon, road race, century ride, open-water swim, charity walk, or whatever — check the race website to see if it has a green plan. If not, email the race director to ask why not, then continue your search for one that does. Starting Monday, April 28, you can also search the FitPlanet EcoRace Directory at www.afitplanet.com/raceinfo.
Race Directors that are putting on sustainable events need your support. Together we can make everyday Earth Day.

I turned 50 a month ago. It was good to be surrounded by friends and family, and the party, presents, and cake were great. But when I look back on the day, I’ll mostly remember the hike I took up a 4,000-foot New Hampshire peak with my chocolate lab Zoe.

The snow was hip deep in places but the trail was passable. A couple of free-heel skiers had been up the trail earlier in the day so we followed their tracks. When we got to the summit the wind was blowing hard and steady from the southwest. It felt good to lean into it and just take in the view - 360 degrees of peaks and valleys, and the clouds moving fast across the afternoon sky. I was 50, I was on the top of a 4,000 footer in late winter with my dog, and I couldn’t have been happier.

As I started to descend, I thought about my 5-year-old daughter. She loves to hike too. When she turns 50 in 2052, will she be able to enjoy what I was experiencing on that day? Would there still be snow in New Hampshire? Will the stands of pine and oak and maple that define this area still be here?

Wrapping your mind around the environmental challenges the world faces can be overwhelming. And the profound impact they’ll likely have on mankind is just too scary to contemplate. But contemplate them we must. And then we must act.

As human beings, that means consuming more wisely. It means using less of just about everything: gasoline, paper, electricity, and plastic. It means reusing, recycling, and composting. It means patronizing companies that have a sincere commitment to environmental responsibility. It means living more consciously.

As an athlete it means choosing to participate in events that are doing the same. That are striving to minimize the impact they have on the environment. That use less gasoline, paper, electricity, and plastic. That reuse, recycle and compost. That align themselves with sponsors and vendors that are doing the same.

I know of very few triathlons or road races in the US that are environmentally responsible. FitPlanet is working with three that are passionate about the cause: Reach the Beach Relay, Tri-Maine, and EndureIT Multisports. Others will get the message when athletes start to demand it.

One man who “gets it” is Mitch Zeisler, executive director of the Charles River Challenge. Mitch is planning this 100% sustainable, non-profit, Olympic-distance triathlon in and around the Charles River in the Cambridge/Boston section of the river. The inaugural race is planned for 2010, but that all depends on the river’s water quality.

Until recently, like most urban rivers in the US, the Charles was unswimmable. In 1995, the EPA gave it a D for water quality. While more or less swimmable today, it still suffers the occasional sewage spill during heavy rains and algae breakouts in the summer. The riverbed sediment remains toxic. The Charles River Challenge is an opportunity to bring attention to the environmental plight of the river. It’s a catalyst for action.

So why wait till 2010 to hold the race? Why not move it up a year to 2009?

Here’s an idea. What if hundreds of triathletes emailed the Charles River Challenge at info@charlesriverchallenge.org? Maybe then the powers-that-be would move a little faster.

You have the power.

There are a lot of terms that people and companies use to describe what they are doing to “help the environment.” Green is one that is used a lot. Sustainability is bandied about as is Eco-Friendly and Eco-Efficiency. And Carbon Footprint and Carbon Neutral are becoming more common too.

We have a vague understanding of what these words mean. One company might use Sustainability to describe their commitment to buy carbon credits to offset their carbon emissions. That’s great, but they might also continue to emit tons of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere every year. Another might use Eco-Friendly to describe a product made from 100% organic cotton or recycled plastic. That’s good too but they most likely will still ship their products around the world in trucks and planes that contribute significantly to greenhouse gasses.

While these companies are doing good things, you could argue that their actions are neither Sustainable nor Green. Athletes for a Fit Planet prefers the term Environmental Responsibility. And when we use this term we mean two very specific things.

First, Environmental Responsibility means taking steps to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost what you consume. This applies to athletes, race directors and organizers, and the companies that support us.

Second, Environmental Responsibility means encouraging others to do the same. So for athletes it might mean asking your local bike shop to adopt a recycling program. For race directors, it might mean asking your sponsors to distribute less paper-based marketing materials at your events. For companies it includes asking your suppliers to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost, and then auditing them to make sure they are complying.

If we all become more Environmentally Responsible, we will be on the path toward Sustainability and Green. But we have a long way to go.