Play It Green

Do I secretly rejoice when another article comes out blasting golf for its eco-sins? A little. I live not far from a golf course, and yet I will never be welcome to set foot on that course. Instead, just a handful of men, trailed by caddies who carry their clubs, are allowed the privilege. And most egregious: during the winter, the “No Sledding” signs prominently displayed on chains blocking the property. If the golfers can’t enjoy their rolling hills during the winter months, it seems, nobody can.

Anyway, The Ecologist, a UK-based environmental mag that’s unashamedly political, presents “Taking a Swing at Golf” in its July/August issue, and guess what? Golf is still an environmental nightmare. In the middle of a major water crisis, Las Vegas’ 60 golf courses, the story reports, each use a million gallons of water a day. The water that is wasted on golf courses every day–9.5 billion liters–could meet the needs of 4/5ths of the world’s population each day. There is something just inherently evil in that calculation.

If more people could enjoy or use golf courses, maybe there would be some justification. If there weren’t desertification happening across the planet and over 1 billion people without access to safe drinking water, maybe we could all cut golf a break.

And then there’s this disturbing factoid, thanks to the article’s sidebar: The U.S. military owns and operates more than 100 golf courses worldwide at taxpayer expense, from West Virginia to Saudi Arabia. And the author writes, ”the Pentagon is planning a $5 billion tourism and development scheme inside the Green Zone in Baghdad, including shopping malls, hotels and - of course - a golfing resort.”

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On Monday, the American Lung Association sent out a press release full of practical advice for tourists visiting Beijing for the Olympic Games. “To keep healthy while in Beijing, limit or avoid outdoor exercise,” said Dr. Norman Edelman, ALA’s Chief Medical Officer. They also remark that face masks aren’t going to help against prevalent gases like ozone smog. Other health advice: stay home and watch the Games on TV.

And fast-forward to 2012, when London will be hosting the Olympics and is already set to out-green China (not an altogether difficult feat) with a recyclable stadium. Designed by HOK Sport and Peter Cook, the concrete bowl base with 25,000 seats would remain in place for football and rugby matches, while the top level would feature 55,000 “transportable seats” that can travel to the next Olympic venue. This top section will be made with lighter, low-impact materials like hemp. Chicago has already agreed to take the stadium if it gets the 2016 Games, and the idea of recycling stadiums may change the whole out-of-control cost structure for hosting the Olympics, letting poorer cities opt in.

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