Alex Moser

9/20/08

Trey Conner

Composition 1

Stadiums Gone Green

As our culture begins to grow, develop new technologies, and adventure into unmarked lands. Pollution has become a problem not just for the generation of today but for those to come. I see sustainability as a way of improving our lifestyles.

            The most efficient way I have seen sustainability come about in our culture on a world priority is through sports. The sports culture always seems to set the example. Many organizations in the U.S.A have begun to build new “green stadiums”. These new stadiums will have low flow faucets and toilets in the restrooms. The building materials used to construct the building will be partially made out of recycled parts. Lighting equipment will use halogen lights giving of less energy. These are just baby steps that have been taken to create a better world.

            In the 2008 summer Olympics China opened its brand new green stadium known as the “birds nest” one of its key features is a 24 hour rain collector near the stadium. The water is purified and used throughout the stadium. Pipes run under and around the stadium using the water to heat and cool the stadium.   The “water cube” has set the bar for any major pool in the future by having Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene, also known as ETFE; this allows more light and heat in than traditional glass causing a thirty percent decrease in energy costs. 

            All this building green didn’t start up at the Olympics it has been going on for quite a while. It did not hit the public view till about one year ago. Major League Baseball has certainly started to peruse greener stadiums. The Boston Red Socks and the Colorado Rockies have made huge steps to build new stadiums here in the next few years. Our own Tampa Bay Rays are planning renovation for the Tropicana Field spending $450 million. They hope the new stadium will be done in 2012 and are coming up with some very clever ideas to make sure it is LEED certified.

            Many wonder about the “green process” thinking that anyone can just go and get LEED to certify anything. For a company no to plan for a green building would hurt them drastically, it takes tons of effort, costs, planning, patience, and labor to make a building (stadium) green. LEED requires ever project to be preapproved. Ever step into creating any structure that will even be considered green must follow the strict guidelines in its contract. The “green mentality lasts from ground breaking to the opening ceremony. Even the way that the site and waste is collected and distributed must be considered “green”.    

            This new “green fad” if you may call it does make some people cynical about the whole thing. Some think that many companies and programs are doing this just for publicity and tax cuts. The truth is that with all these green buildings coming about they do a lot for themselves. The new stadiums do cost more but they pay for themselves in energy savings. With all the recycling that goes on to make these buildings they save new natural resources from being torn down. They offer so much to helping the environment that most people don’t see. No for your pocket book, they do wonders on energy savings on average they are thirty percent less than a regular stadium would run. For the economy as it is right now to keep building green it produces more jobs and contracts for buyers and sellers, helping out in more than just environmental problems.

            As an athlete I would have loved to play in one of these “green stadiums” just from reading some of the reviews and seeing pictures they look like a cleaner more invigorating environment for fans and players alike. 

I liked the topic and I learned something new. I didn't know that they were making green stadiums. I also never realized how much thought and planing went into building green. To add length to your paper I would go into greater detail on some of the steps in planing. You could also give specific info from the articles you have read. Besides that the topic is solid. -Zach