Sport and Environment Flashcards
Precautionary approach
Refers to the view that in the face of such uncertainties (ex. uncertainties about the level of human impacts on global warming, or the effects of chemical use on human health), the default response should be to ‘act preventively’…
Sustainability
- dominant approach for sport mega-event organizers and others
- Meeting “needs of the present without compromising ability of future generations to meet their owns needs” - address ‘triple bottom line’ (economic prosperity/growth, environmental stewardship and social inclusion/equity)
- Sport is sustainable when it meets the needs of today’s sporting communities while contributing to the improvement of future sport opportunities for all and the improvement of the integrity of the natural and social environment on which it depends.
- Take into account economic prosperity, social issues and environment issues (try to all this together) - might be able to do this
- Commonly favoured by major (sport) organizations, government, businesses and many others that are also responsible for economic prosperity
- Sustainability is the popular, audience-friendly term
- ‘Ecological Modernization’ (EM) is the more nuanced theory – EM identifies assumptions that underlie sustainability - idea that industries can switch from practices that are more harmful to the environment to ones that are sustainable
- So, when people promote sustainability, they are supporting an EM-driven approach too
Assumption underlying a sustainability driven approach
- Economic growth & progress on environmental issues compatible
You can still hold mega-sport events, continue production and consumption of new commodities – and be sustainable - Environmentally-friendly sport is good business
- Environment-impacting activities can be improved using innovation/technology – leading to ‘cleaner’ production/consumption processes (video: developing emission reducing technologies can and will enable us to enjoy sports with few environmental consequences and these technologies can often be very profitable)
- Societies progress through ‘stages’ – as our technologies and ideas improve, so does our ability to develop environment-friendly technologies
Note: these assumptions are central to ‘ecological modernization’ theory
Carbon Offsetting
“Carbon offsetting” is a powerful tool
- When too much carbon emitted because of activity/event, you can purchase offset credits! (video: by purchasing offset credits you can make up for or offset carbon emitted due to an activity or event so even if new greener technologies do not take care of environment, carbon neutrality can still be achieved with enough offset purchases)
- Event promoters who run carbon-neutral events use a variety of initiatives to reduce emissions, including waste reduction through disposable materials; bottle-recycling stations throughout event venues; attempts to reduce electricity use; and trash reduction strategies, including sorting stations and education around waste reduction for event attendees like the Vancouver 2010 Olympics
- Purchases help pay for carbon-saving or carbon-producing - The final step, however, for event organizers striving to run carbon-neutral events is to purchase carbon offset credits. Buying a credit involves making a contribution to a carbon-reducing initiative, like a renewable energy project. These projects are commonly based in developing countries because, generally speaking, it is much less expensive to fund offset projects in these contexts.
Industry-NGO-Consumer Relationship
Industry-NGO-consumer relationships will push pro-environment developments
- e.g., Greenpeace and Coca Cola, hydrofluorocarbons to hydrocarbons
Attempting to intermingle economic and environmental progress, while at the same time promoting industry–NGO–consumer relationship. The assumption that industry can develop technologies necessary to be cleaner and greener is a key aspect of the ecological modernist narrative. Advocates of EM in sport management (like Chernushenko) commonly cite examples like Coca Cola’s development of more energy-efficient coolers that use hydrocarbon or HC cooling systems, a green innovation that allowed the company to stop using coolers reliant on environmentally damaging hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). This particular innovation—a response to criticisms from Greenpeace before the Sydney Olympics in 2000—is commonly cited by EM advocates because it fits the theory so well. That is to say, an NGO (like Greenpeace) and consumers inspired an innovation by a corporation, a corporation that continues to make profit (i.e., selling cola) to consumers who now desire greener products
Employees of Coca-Cola, official sponsor of the Games, wore uniforms at the Games made from recycled plastic bottles, as part of their attempt to be achieve carbon-neutral status in their own right
Profit
As long as profit the primary goal, appearance of ‘being green’ will be prioritized
- Ecological modernism is also not useful for explaining or dealing with the greenwashing practices of some businesses intent on maximizing profit by enhancing their image without (significantly) altering their environment-impacting practices. That is to say, the ‘weak’ ecological modernist view that consumer demand for more environmentally friendly products and services will drive the market to be greener does not account for the contrary responses that some businesses will have when their primary goal is profit.
- Video: Claims are not always matched by the kind of genuine pro-environment activity
Too much faith in technological advances and human innovation?
(exclusively relying on technological solutions has limitations)
“Ingenuity gap” – e.g., BP oil spill - as a culture we are far too willing to gamble with things that are precious and irreplaceable without backup plans (video)
See Addicted to Risk: Naomi Klein ‘TED’ Talk
- As the oil burst it showed the lack of control we have despite every attempt to contain it - there was an idea called junk shot which was to fire old tires and golf balls down that hole in the world - recklessness and carelessness with which that power was unleashed
- When human health and environment is at risk and when the potential damage is irreversible we cannot afford to wait for perfect scientific certainty but rather better to air on side of caution
- Humans can be too slow in finding solutions when irreversible damage has already been done
Issues with carbon offsetting
Is an offset project really ‘equivalent’ to ecosystem damage somewhere else?
- “Nature” positioned as something that is, by right, owned & manipulated by humans
- Video: Sport mega event organizers could always claim to have been carbon neutral if enough money was contributed to these projects
More on carbon offsettinga
Assessing value of carbon offset contribution very difficult
- Difficult to determine whether a project funded through carbon offset programme would have taken place if there was no offset-donation (difficult to known when a donation when to a project that was completed or not completed)
- Tree-planting projects for offsets problematic
“there is no guarantee that a forest will be permanent…[and] when trees die, they release all the CO2 they absorbed during their lives” - Environmental equity issue: humans are deciding what damage counts and what it means to make up damage that has occurred to non-human systems and wildlife
Carbon offsetting can offer greater value of relying on it is more complicated than it seems
Problem with Collaboration
NGO, government, & corporate interactions may not lead to ‘best responses’ because of power imbalances
Environmental groups sometimes feel forced into undesirable compromises
e.g., study of golf course development in Singapore
Only certain topics on the table for negotiation
Solution
- Be open to range of options
- Rewarding national sport organizations not only for athletic performance but also for environmental practice - for using platforms to promote pro-environmental behaviour and for meeting and for meeting incentives (sends powerful message to prioritize long term health alongside athletic performance)
- Forms of development can continue into the future if these three pillars are efficiently balanced
- By being environmentally friendly by such as reducing impact through carbon offsetting and using green technologies and being socially responsible (holding events that help support communities through things like improved infrastructure) you will also benefit economically because consumers care about these things and will attend your events and buy your products
Functional and Critical Approach
Those who see sport as contributing to sustainability (functionalist)
Highly positive thinking about the good of sport
Functionalism: Maintaining the status quo?
People in positions of power in society [tend to] favour functionalist theory because it is based on the assumption that society is organized for the equal benefit of all people and therefore should not be changed in any dramatic ways
Those who see contradictions in and problems related to practice “sustainability” (critical) - are concerned when ‘one solution’ is presented as the ‘only’ solution
Critical orientation is more focused with identifying problems as opposed to finding solutions which is the whole point of SDP programs
