Will global warming kill sports or will sports kill the environment?
Understanding how global warming is affecting the sports playfield and vice versa.
From summer to winter, to spring and fall, there isn’t a season where sports aren’t readily available for viewers to watch. But for student athletes, will there always be enough of a season for them to train and compete in?
The effect of global warming on sports
Ever since pre-industrialization, the fossil-fueled nature of our activities have caused a rise in greenhouse gas levels that warm our earth beyond acceptable levels. In turn, competitions are too hot to compete in, ice nears extinction, and athletes (in some cases) lose their purpose.
In 2018, the US Tennis Association introduced an “extreme heat policy” after many athletes struggled with rising temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Although far from where student athletes may be competing, the policy speaks of the struggles athletes may face in the future as temperatures continue to rise, swallowing them in an endless loop of dehydration, constant game intermissions, and in some circumstances, heat strokes.
With a continuously warming earth, many necessary climates for winter games are disappearing. With less snow and ice, skaters, snowboarders, hockey players, and many other winter-sport athletes are losing the environment they need to train and compete. They are left to face the reality of either giving up the sport or continuing in ways that may only harm the environment—the creation of facilities that will support them in turn for more carbon dioxide being emitted.
On the other hand, the fall of one season gives rise to longer periods of others. While there might be less ice, there will be longer summers, perfect for runners, swimmers, and many other summer-sport athletes to train and perfect their talents. Even non-athletes can enjoy the prolonged summers to exercise and spend more time outdoors.
The effect of sports on global warming
For every hockey stick, bike, bat, boat, ski, racquet, or net used, students fail to realize that once it’s worn out, it’s left to rot for decades on end in landfills. Although the materials of such equipment are strong and light, they are not recyclable, and at times, a simple tear can deem it unsafe for consumption, forcing an early retirement to landfills.
While some athletic gear is recyclable, such as clothes and shoes, just as many are made from polyester. Polyester is a material that eases the discomfort of sweat for athletes, but is also difficult to recycle , again leaving it to pile up in landfills or to be burned, emitting more greenhouse gases.
It’s uncertain the permanent effect sports will have on the environment and vice versa. There might be longer summers for track and field athletes, but will our air be clean enough to counter the heat and health risks? Only time and the effort of all those affected will tell.
