Earth Day 2020

Below is a collection of stories from our members and partners on what they are doing to honor the 50th anniversary of Earth Day

Major League Baseball (MLB)

For the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, below are over 100 green initiatives Major League Baseball and its 30 clubs practice throughout their seasons:1) MLB was the first sports league to have all of its clubs become members of the Green Sports Alliance.2) Nine clubs operate regular season Green Teams: Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals.3) Nineteen MLB clubs have installed LED field lighting.4) Seven clubs have permanently eliminated plastic straws from their ballparks: Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals.For the rest, click here.

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners this week announced sustainability updates to T-Mobile Park in celebration of Earth Day on Wednesday. The club’s efforts to reduce its environmental footprint include a switch to zero emission electric movers (for maintaining the playing surface at the ballpark) and an agreement with partner Centerplate to expand the menu at The Natural, which is the concessions stand at T-Mobile Park that features organic, vegetarian and vegan offerings. Learn more.

UT Austin

Integrating sustainability throughout the educational and operational activities at The University of Texas at Austin has been a focus for years, and now the Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System (STARS) has given the university its first-ever achievement of a Gold rating. Learn more.

University of Utah

As the University of Utah community prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day from home, it does so with the achievement of a significant milestone. The U has exceeded a goal it committed to nearly nine years ago through smart energy management that resulted in cost savings for the university and cleaner air for the local community. Learn more.

11th Hour Racing

At a time when access to clean water is of critical importance for public health around the world, 11th Hour Racing announced today a $250,000 grant to support Imagine H2O’s 2020 Urban Water Challenge — the third annual global competition to encourage the development of innovative ways to advance how we source, distribute, use, and reuse water to build resilient communities. Learn more.

Dow

Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational Golf Tournament is GEO Certified in year 1

‍In its first year as the newest event on the LPGA tour, the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational (GLBI) Golf Tournament, broke records as the first fledgling LPGA event, and the first ever women’s event, to receive GEO Certification for its contribution to sustainable golf. In line with their 2025 Sustainability Goals, Dow’s relationship with the LGPA extends beyond financial support to engage surrounding communities as they strive to create a positive climate legacy.  Considering three primary spheres of influence - event operations, community impact, and collaboration with the LPGA – Dow laid out a five-year plan for the GLBI Tournament alongside partner Octagon and the GEO Foundation to move the needle on sustainable sporting events and their promotion globally. By working in partnership with 250+ community partners and sponsors, event organizers were able to successfully elevate the inclusivity and sustainability of the event, divert 68% of waste from landfills, educate thousands of local residents on the innovative sustainability efforts, and enable a $12.7 million direct economic impact to the Great Lakes Bay Region. Read the full Dow GLBI GEO Certified® report to learn more about the event’s great results.

‍Dow & Olympic House (IOC Headquarters) – One of the Most Sustainable Buildings in the World

‍The new headquarters for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) —Olympic House—was recently named one of the most sustainable buildings in the world, earning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification. To help reach their ambitious goals in energy conservation and working efficiency, the IOC turned to Dow—Worldwide Olympic Partner, Official Chemistry Company of the Olympic Movement, and Official Carbon Partner of the IOC—for efficient and sustainable product solutions. From the building’s facade and floors, to its walls and roof, Dow’s technologies are working behind-the-scenes to improve long-term energy efficiency, air quality, strength and durability. Through its commitment to global unity and pioneering energy efficiency, Olympic House reflects the role of the greater Olympic Movement in bringing sustainability in sports to the global stage.

‍Dow solutions help enable long-term performance of Olympic Stadium

‍Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium—originally used as the main venue for Tokyo 1964—has been reimagined for Tokyo 2020, retrofitted with the latest innovations in architecture and design that celebrate the nation’s past and its bright future. As a Worldwide Olympic Partner, Dow’s technologies are being used to help insulate, seal, connect, coat, and protect key systems throughout the Stadium, and deliver sustainability gains into the main stadium’s new life as host for future international and national events. For Tokyo 2020, there will be 25 retrofit venues, 10 temporary sites and 8 new, permanent structures. Helping to bring legacy venues up to the required performance level of a modern venue and ensuring they maintain that efficiency well into the future, Dow’s solutions are helping to encourage a legacy of sustainability.

‍Dow teams up with Restore the Earth Foundation to help deliver carbon savings through Louisiana reforestation project

‍In support of its Official Carbon Partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dow is collaborating with Restore the Earth Foundation to replant 400 acres of native bald cypress trees severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Dow’s commitment to the project is estimated to generate 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions reductions over a 40-year period while improving water quality and enhancing wildlife habitat. The 400-acre commitment will help protect more than 200,000 residents from future storms through strengthened natural barriers while also generating $11 million in environmental, social and economic value for the region. This collaboration, made possible through Dow’s partnership with the IOC, aligns with Dow’s “Valuing Nature” journey as a part of its 2025 Sustainability Goals, which aims to deliver $1 billion in net present value from projects that are good for business and better for nature.

WWF

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, a time to celebrate the amazing biodiversity that comprises life on our planet. For the last half century, the world has come together to raise awareness and demand action in support of conservation. This year, as our world faces a global pandemic, Earth Day must also be a moment to more profoundly realize the vital connections between nature and human health—and an occasion to consider the actions we can all take to safeguard our future.As you, your team and your community celebrate Earth Day -- and beyond -- this year, we are pleased to share the following resources:

• Our Planet: Our Business: a 40-minute online film inspired by the original Netflix Our Planet series that aims to answer the question: “What can business do?”  We welcome the opportunity to host virtual screenings for our partners, accompanied by Q&A from our conservation experts. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you are interested.
• 50 Actions for the Planet: a guide that offers 50 everyday actions individuals can take to protect nature.
• Virtual backgrounds: download a free, nature-inspired video conferencing background.
• Art for Earth: join us in creating art pieces that show your passion for nature on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #ArtForEarth.

We hope these resources are helpful as your company works to create a more sustainable future for people and nature.

Minnesota United FC

• Our sustainability page features everything sustainable in Allianz Field’s building design: Learn more.
• We’re currently encouraging our fans/local businesses to help donate food and volunteer their time to help shelters: Learn more.
• Since our home opener was postponed we were able to donate almost 2,000 pounds of food to local charities: Learn more.
• Allianz Field had a diversion rate of 49% our first year of operation! Our goal was an aggressive 50% so we are happy we were so close to achieving this goal.

Portland Trail Blazers

On August 21, 2019, Moda Center was the first arena to receive LEED O+M (v4.1) Platinum Certification, a major milestone in the greening of sports. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building and community and home project types, LEED provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.The Platinum certification, awarded to Moda Center by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), identifies and rewards best practices for a building’s energy, water, waste, transportation and human experience. Learn more.

Eco-Products

1. Allianz Field soccer stadium in St. Paul, MN, was designed with sustainability in mind. From being situated on a former brownfield, to its energy efficient LEDs, to a landscape irrigation system that upcycles storm water, Allianz Field exemplifies eco-friendliness. By using compostable food service ware from Eco-Products and working with their concessionaire Delaware North, Allianz Field is a composting both food scraps and food service packaging with The Mulch Store –thereby helping to create soil instead of trash. Since February 2019, Allianz Field has recycled 190 tons of recyclables, conserving 190 cubic yards of landfill space — equal to the annual disposal of 244 people.

The 190 tons of recycling efforts conserved the following resources as well:

• 317 mature trees were saved: enough to produce 4 million sheets of newspaper
• 206,710 Kx-Hrs of electricity: enough to fulfill the annual electricity needs of 17 homes
• Avoided 149 Metric Tons (M2CO2E) of GHG Emissions
• 188,639 gallons of water: enough fresh water to fit the needs of 2.5k people

2. If you want to see what Zero Waste leadership looks like in college sports, check out CU Boulder and Ralphie's Green Stampede – winners of the Pac-12 Conference Zero Waste Challenge in football two years in a row! In 2019, Folsom Field achieved an astounding 86% diversion rate, which included composting 41,000 pounds of food scraps and Eco-Products compostable food service ware. Eco-Products and Ralphie's Green Stampede also partner to serve up Zero Waste tailgating a Franklin Field before home games. The only thing better than cheering on your team is when you can do it with a light footprint!3. The Seattle Mariners are committed to reducing the environmental impact of T-Mobile Park. This offseason, they installed new LED lighting in multiple space and added four electric vehicle charging stations to support sustainable transportation to the ballpark. Their grounds crew is has also converted to electric mowers and blowers to reduce emissions and maintenance. For fans at T-Mobile Park, Eco-Products has proudly provided compostable food service ware for years, helping the Mariners become a leader in modeling what’s possible in sustainability for professional sports teams. By using only compostables at T-Mobile Park, Mariners fans can toss their plate, fork, and cup into the same bin along with any food scraps – the compost bin. All of that organic material is sent to Cedar Grove Composting, where it gets composted so it can return to the Earth. In 2019, the waste diversion rate for T Mobile Park was an impressive 85%. For the Mariners, every day is Earth Day.

Minnesota Wild

Our organization (which is celebrating a decade of sustainability) invited Minnesota Wild players and staff to celebrate Earth Day at home and to help make a big difference with a small at-home gesture. We  knew our staff were probably already taking those daily walks or runs just to feel a sense of normalcy. We simply encouraged them to look no further than their sidewalk, boulevard, storm drain or neighborhood park for trash to clean up. They were also encouraged to share photos with the hashtags #EarthDayAtHome and #HeartOfTheWild. Our mascot Nordy even got in on the action and was featured on our local ABC affiliate. We also recognized our annual Sustainability Hero, as voted on by staff. Learn more about our sustainability efforts.

IUPUI

This April marks an important milestone, as it is the 50th anniversary of Earth Month. All month long, we will celebrate our magnificent planet through engaging webinars, videos, social media take overs, blogs and more!Mark your calendar now:

• April 2: IUPUI Sustainability 101: Who We Are, What We Do & How You Can Help
• April 6: Using Psychology to Drive Sustainable Behavior Change
• April 8: How To Conserve Food Right in your Backyard
• April 10: Becoming Carbon Neutral: Strategies from Succeeding Universities
• April 13: Eco-Friendly Event Planning
• April 15: Recycling on Campus Simplified
• April 17: How to Win the Energy Challenge at Home: Energy Saving Tips
• April 20: Food Insecurity & How to Grow Plants From Food Scraps
• April 22: Five Ways to Celebrate the 50th Earth Day
• April 24: Virtual Arbor Day Tree Planting
• April 28: Prepping Your Garden Beds: How Good Preparation Augments Soil Health
• April 30: How to Design a Promotional Event Flyer

Check out the IUPUI Sustainability Events Calendar to get the full details and register to attend!  Learn more.

Spokane Indians

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we're debuting our 2019 Sustainability Report—the first such report in Minor League Baseball History! The report includes the team's sustainability history, environmental strategy, and more.

Arizona State University

Carbon dioxide emissions likely will decrease in 2020 in the wake of COVID-19 and shelter-in-place orders. However, those emissions surely will rise again once the pandemic passes unless significant steps are taken to tackle human-caused climate change. In 2007, Arizona State University was ahead of the curve when it came to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. That’s when ASU pledged to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions from campus operations by 2025. To underscore the urgency to act, ASU reached that goal six years early — on June 30, 2019.Increased energy efficiency in both new buildings and campus retrofits; on-site solar generation; renewable energy purchases from large-scale, off-site generation facilities; and purchase of carbon offsets and renewable energy were all deployed while growing the student population and undertaking a physical expansion of all ASU’s campuses.This action is one key element of many initiatives that have helped ASU also earn the STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) Platinum sustainability rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. STARS is a framework for colleges and universities to measure their comprehensive sustainability performance. Read more.

Portland Timbers & Thorns

In November 2019, Providence Park, home of the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns FC, was awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Additionally, in continuing to prioritize the environment and sustainability, the club joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Sports for Climate Action Framework. Learn more.

Oregon Convention Center

The Oregon Convention Center has been recertified as a LEED® Platinum building by the U.S. Green Building Council — the highest of the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards and an internationally recognized benchmark for sustainable building practices. OCC is one of only two convention centers in the United States to hold that distinction and continues a Portland tradition of achieving the highest levels of sustainable practice. Learn more.