(View encore program at Facebook.com/athletesvoices)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021 | 5:00 PM ET - 6:30 PM ET (2:00 PM PT - 3:30 PM PT)
GOALS FOR THE EARTH | GREEN SPORTS | Voices for Sustainability, Environmentalism and Natural Resources
Join Athletes' Voices on January 14, 2021 at 5 PM ET / 2 PM PT for an important and timely discussion on the connection between sports and conservation, sustainability, natural resources and the environment.
"Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the Earth.” —Henry David Thoreau
"I think when a surfer becomes a surfer, it's almost like an obligation to be an environmentalist at the same time." —Kelly Slater
Featuring eco-warriors including Harvard-educated NHL Legend Andrew Ference, UK Paralympic Sailing Medalist Alexandra Rickham, Australian Netballer Amy Steel, MMA champion and documentarian James Wilks, EcoAthletes and GreenSportsBlog President Lew Blaustein, Sport Ecology Group (SEG) Co-Founder Maddy Orr PhD; and Event Moderator, Green Sports Alliance Executive Director Roger McClendon, this will be a provocative and action-oriented conversation.
bi·o·sphere /ˈbīəˌsfir/
A global ecosystem composed of living organisms (biota) and the abiotic (nonliving) factors from which they derive energy and nutrients. The zone of life on Earth. Life sustaining, life enhancing. The air runners breathe when competing in a marathon. Surfers on the shore, searching for the best possible waves to ride. Snowfall in November creating a pristine pathway for a cross country skier. An ice climber scaling a mountain. A soccer team taking the pitch, cleats gliding across the perfectly manicured turf enhanced by recent rainfall. Hikers. Long jumpers. A game of pick up basketball. Pentathletes and their equestrian partners jumping. Earth, wind, water, fire - the basic elements of nature required to sustain life - in balance are essential for an athlete to achieve peak performance.
To perform at the highest levels, athletes need to be in peak physical form. However, even as sports promote health, they can also have negative consequences on the environment. Through the practice of sport and the consequences of consumerism and mega events, fragile ecosystems are often disrupted.
Sports are also heavily impacted by degraded environments - runners can't train when the air quality is poor. Surfers' desire for the best possible waves to ride make them dependent on the unpredictable nature of weather events and their effect on the surface of the ocean. Melting glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe droughts increase wildfires. Rising sea levels cause flooding, destroy food sources and disrupt habitats. Hot areas become hotter, cold areas colder. Researchers say that of the nineteen venues that have hosted the Winter Olympics, just ten will be able to hold them by 2050 (BBC News, 20 June 2020).
Organizations like The Green Sports Alliance are "leveraging the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities, mobilizing sports organizations, communities, athletes, and fans to create sustainable progress and behavioral change." Athletes across all sports are seeking to raise awareness around sustainability.
With this fourth installment of our Pitch for Change Speaker Series, Athletes' Voices continues to inspire impact and amplify athletes' voices as influencers around a wide range of topics, including conservation, sustainability and the environment.
Featured athletes on the webcast include:
Andrew Ference | NHL Legend (16 seasons), Stanley Cup winner (2011) , WHL Humanitarian of the Year (2014), Harvard University - Corporate Sustainability and Innovation Certificate, Green Sports Alliance Board Member; NHL - Director of Social Impact, Growth and Legislative Affairs
Alexandra Rickham | British/Jamaican Paralympic Sailor, 2x Paralympic bronze medalist, EcoAthletes Champion
Amy Steel | Australian Netball professional player, National Team member, EcoAthletes Champion; Audit + Assurance Partner, Deloitte
James Wilks | Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Champion (UFC), winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom; leading role in the film The Game Changers (2018) produced by James Cameron
Subject matter experts include:
Roger McClendon | Executive Director, Green Sports Alliance; Former Chief Sustainability Officer, Yum! Brands
Lew Blaustein | President + Founder, GreenSportsBlog; President, EcoAthletes; President, LBS Green Solutions
Maddy Orr, PhD | Sport Ecology Group Founder + Co-Director, Assistant Professor of Sports Management, SUNY Cortland
Pitch for Change has curated a fascinating group of influencers who will share their first-hand accounts, professional perspective and suggested action items around sports as a conduit for awareness around sustainability, conservation and . Join us on Thursday, January 14, 2021.