Speaking of heroes, athletes seem to be naturals at it. And many of them continue to shine long after they leave the winner’s circle.

Tennis now steps up to the plate net with the announcement of GreenSlam, a organization promoting socially and environmentally responsible change through the power of sports. Founder, Billie Jean King, tennis legend and social activist, is no stranger to using her voice for good. She has teamed up with llana Kloss, CEO and Commissioner of World Team Tennis, to move professionals, along with the entire tennis industry, towards GreenSlam standards.

With programs that include global ecologically supportive athletic events, “green-collar” work/study opportunities and cleaning up roadways, GreenSlam reaches into all aspects of the sports world, including its fans.

Prince Sports stepped into the ring court as sponsor, along with the Tennis Industry Association and Firm Green Energy Inc, a leader in renewable energy initiatives, big names that go right to the source.

“If the billions of people who live and love sports take just one single step, we can win back our planet.”
- Billie Jean King.

Love. Set. Match.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France champion, has announced plans for opening a bike shop and commuting center in downtown Austin, TX, in May of this year. It will include bicycle/gear sales, bicycle storage and showers for commuters, a training facility and a cafe. Now you can ride in to work, grab a shower, breakfast and a chat with other riders before continuing to the office (by foot, bus, or pedicab).

Mellow Johnny’s, named for the yellow jersey, is making good-sense use of an existing 1950’s building and it is not just about the bike. Lance acknowledges the importance of encouraging and supporting a cycling culture in growing cities like Austin, “We have to promote (bike) commuting. This can be a hub for that.” Armstrong also promotes the addition of safe roadways for cyclists, positioning the new shop in close proximity to the the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, a path conceived of by a local cycling activist and subsequently funded by the city of Austin, that loops approximately 6 miles through the center of the downtown area.

With the revitalization of urban areas and the move towards mixed-use communities, an accessible mass transit system combined with a commuter bike center and safe bicycle lanes is what every city needs and what an eco-motivated population deserves. And I think many of us are motivated and inspired by new ideas and hope for a liveable and happy future.

And, I’m motivated by heroes like Lance, who, instead of resting on his laurels, is doing what he knows best and doing it for Change. Now I know that I’m riding with the best of them.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

It snowed a few inches over the weekend. Temps stayed below freezing for 3 days, giving us a short window of Winter play. My cross-country skis still live with family in MN, so I spent much of the weekend hiking with the dogs and, more noteworthy, on my bicycle.

Yep. I did what I thought I wouldn’t/couldn’t do and rode my bike in 20-something temps - with even a bit of windchill. I dressed well in layers and covered my face. Mittens are always much warmer than gloves but I was able to navigate gears and brakes surprisingly well. I did it - I rode on paved and dirt roads as well as on snowy fields at the farm near me. My Border Collie, Ayla, ran along with me and we stopped to scratch the heads of the cows and mules - well, I scratched, she stared. The sheep are more wary of BC ways, and stayed out of reach.

Why is this worth writing about? Because I have proven to myself that choosing bicycle over car is possible even in colder weather. This is a big deal to me since I’ve been trying to do a green commute more often. If you’ve been feeling wimpy about your green commute in the cold, please be encouraged by my experience. Although I love Winter, I’m always worried about staying warm and was really reluctant to try below freezing bicycle ride. But it worked -

I found there are two useful strategies (besides dressing right):

1. Ride fast to increase body heat.

2. Ride more slowly to decrease the windchill effects on extremities.

#1 works best if you are stopping only when you reach your destination and can go indoors before cooling down and riding slowly works best for pleasure rides where you’ll be taking breaks..

I also discovered that riding on top of snow with knobby tires is a blast.

Bon Iver!

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Winter has been hard to find lately. Skis, snowboards and ice skates stay stowed away for longer periods of time each year. The mountainous snowbanks that used to still be melting far into a MN spring, now rarely reach a foot or two all year. The shortcut I took across one of the city’s lakes on my x-cross country skis is no longer a safe bet. And now, Winter can’t even seem to find Alaska.

Citing a warming climate and urban sprawl (connection noted), Grist reports that Iditarod officials announced permanent logistical changes in the race course this year, shortening the length and moving the start location 30 miles north - in search of colder temps, less asphalt and more snow.

Other professional Winter sports athletes are having to adjust to warming issues as well. Skiers, skaters and snowboarders are heeding the call to save their careers - and their passion for Winter sport. According to EMagazine, Snowboarders, Gretchen Bleiler, Lindsey Jacobellis joined the cause after experiencing significant and disturbing changes in practice and event conditions all over the world. Five of the original 8 World Cup snowboarding events were canceled last year due to lack of snow and warm temps.

Boston Bruins hockey player, Andrew Ference, wants the entire NHL to go carbon Neutral. He worked with the David Suzuki Foundation, calculating an emissions output of 25 tons of carbon per player during the sports season for flights and accommodations. He and other players now purchase Gold Standard carbon offsets and have made significant changes in their own lives as well - like driving less and recycling more. Similar meetings are happening with 20 other NHL teams while Olympic alpine skier, Kjetil Andre Aamott of Norway, has founded an anti-globalwarming campaign for Olympic athletes.

Lack of snow also has motivated recreational ski resorts to take action and move towards greener - or whiter - mountains. They may have to run snow making machines more, but some are switching to biodiesel fuel while others are purchasing wind power. The Natural Ski Areas Association joined with NRDC’s Keep Winter Cool campaign, supported and promoted by snowboarder, Ross Powers and Alpine ski racer, Picabo Street. Read more about ski areas going green here.

“It’s a lifestyle change.” says Street in EMagazine, who is making changes in her lifestyle on and off the road. “You have to focus on it, and really commit to it.”

Spoken like a true athlete.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

It starting raining - hard - in the middle of the night. I’m now trained to hear it through a sound sleep - like I am a cat’s meow or a dog’s whine. I was up and out with the dogs before daylight - anxious to put on a heavy-duty raincoat for the first time in months and feel the cold drops hitting my face. Me and the mutts, taking advantage of the holiday school break, went a few blocks to the school yard to run around and play ball. It was 38 degrees, dark gray and the rain was steadily coming. It was glorious - the best holiday gift I could imagine, after 9 months of drought in NC.

Not much could dampen my joy, even the sound, smell and sight of a huge - I mean, really really big, McMansion-style RV sitting in the what should have been an empty parking lot. I smelled it first - the idling engine rumbling, as it had probably done throughout the night. As the darkness lifted, I noticed that there was a satellite dish sitting on top. Sigh. Never leave home without - um, everything - ?

The dogs noticed nothing, of course - and continued to run in circles, huge dog smiles on their faces. I threw up my arms in surrender. Together, we ran across the road towards a small farm to visit the friendly, grass-fed cows, and bring apples to the new goat in the next pasture. Like the fuzzy cows, we were all pleasantly steamy, my good-mood rescued by standing in the Winter rain, the carbon-emitting, monstrosity all but forgotten. All but forgotten…

I couldn’t help myself, when I returned home, I looked up some emissions statistics on Simple Green Options.

Total Emissions Per Vehicle
SUV (15mpg) – 2.29 lbs/mi
Average Car (25 mpg) – 1.39 lbs/mi
Prius (55 mpg) - .61 lbs/mi
Motorcycle - .57 lbs/mi
RV – 4.58 lbs/mi

Total Emissions Per Person
Average Car/Single Driver – 1.39 lbs/mi
Average Car/Family of 4 - .34 lbs/mi
Train - .32 lbs/mi
Bus - .48 lbs/mi
Plane (250 mi trip) - .85 lbs/mi**
Plane (600 mi) - .69 lbs/mi**
Plane (3500 mi) - .56 lbs/mi**

I’m not against practical RVs or campers. When used responsibly for long-distance travel, they are, by the look of these figures, more environmentally friendly than flying, especially if you are toting along an entire family. And if you’re making your R.V. living a full-time gig, you’re most likely making a smaller environmental footprint than the average household.

Unfortunately, many RVs are bigger - much bigger - than they need to be, equipped with every convenience imaginable, travel with only 2 passengers and are part of a luxury lifestyle that includes another large home and additional vacation or business travel by air. Pretty big “feet”.

It’s Noon and it’s still raining. I’m happy and filled with hope for the new year - a hope that we will all take a more holistic look at how we live and how we affect the planet and the lives of others with our choices. And that we will all feel as grateful as I do right now, for the blessings of nature instead of the blessings of material wealth.

by Greg Gillette, Asheville, NC

Is it possible to live with only your feet, a bike, and some public transportation, in a small city? Yes, it is quite possible, as I have been engaged in a car-free life for almost 3 months. Why? I wanted to be the change I want to see in the world. I had debated this idea for several years and I realized that I had already been getting by without driving, except when the weather was cold and rainy. The only way I was going to experience the real car-free life was to sell my car. One morning I woke up and posted my Subaru on Craig’s List. By the next day, I was car-free and it felt damn good.

I bought a practical and cool commuter bike with fenders, lights, and waterproof panniers. I continue to bike downtown to go dancing; I bike to work, to friends’ houses, and to the local co-op for groceries. It helps that I work part-time out of my house and part-time in town. When it’s wet, I just put on my rain gear and go. To me, it is a feeling of true freedom knowing that I am living simpler, moving my body towards better health everyday - and helping the Earth. I figure I can rent a car when necessary and I’m looking forward to car-share options becoming available, as they are in some larger cities. No Impact Man talks car-share here.

Yes, there is some sacrifice involved and I have no idea if I will live the rest of my life without 4 wheels of some kind, but for the present, it feels wonderful to be car-free. It feels right. It is allowing me to get a bigger perceptive on life by moving a bit slower, as though I am not so entangled in the huge wheel of modern society. Although not everyone can live without a car, everyone can put a little more effort into driving those cars less and taking advantage of the occasions when they can walk, bike, carpool and use public transportation.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Known to some as “Bike City, U.S.A.”, Portland is a mecca for recreational and commuter cyclists, and home to the Nation’s highest percentage of workers who commute by bike (3.5%). Way ahead of it’s time, the city began planning a network of bike lanes in the 1970’s, according to the NY Times. Refueled by the carbon-reducing environmental movement, Portland scores high in green karma and green economy. The growing number of cycling enthusiasts in the area is boosting a growing market of small businesses that are combining both recreation and transportation with a strong sustainability message.

“Our intentions are to be as sustainable a city as possible,” says Sam Adams, a city commissioner in charge of transportation. But what began as only an environmental effort, became an additional economy booster - testament to the fact that what goes around comes around. That’s only part of the good news. Successful small business fosters community and goodwill, allowing room for community outreach and nonprofit advocacy. With encouragement from local government, drivers and riders in Portland mostly share roads - and parking spaces - harmoniously. More plans are underway for additional bike lanes to keep riders out of motor traffic.

The moral of the story? Cities that grow greener may also see growth in community-building attitude and activities, economy-boosting small business, tourism, sustainability, safety and healthy habits, as well as a decrease in pollution and corporate takeovers. Nothing to lose, everything to gain.

How to help your town have this much fun? Find your passion. Find your voice. Get involved in local planning, large or small. Find your path and hit the ground running - or, er, riding - !

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

My twin sister lives near Lake Tahoe and she called the other day to tell me the first snow had come early this year - she was standing in the canyon, looking up at it just then. We were silent for a moment, both of us, I’m certain, thinking wistfully of the long, beautifully snow-covered Winters of our childhood in Minnesota. Those days seem far away - not by measure of years, but by the measure of lacking snow. Just as we now reveled in an October snowfall, we were simultaneously sobered by the fact that this was not an indication of “business as usual” in terms of nature. As temperatures rise, annual snowfall throughout the world have been decreasing rapidly over decades. Winter sports may soon be a thing of the past.

Of course, in this culture, denial runs deep. Ski resorts have been making supplemental snow for dry periods for a long time and I’m sure they’ll continue to fill the air with CO2 emissions via snowmakers for a long time yet. But, making your own snow at home? Now I know just how spoiled we have become and that nature can’t seem to speak to us loudly enough.

Do you know about this? When Winter is a no-show, instead of worrying about it, we just rub our hands together like mad scientists and find yet another non-sustainable way to get what we want. Much to my surprise and dismay, I’ve discovered that companies in the U.S. have been selling home snowmakers since 2000 and sales “have hit every state except Hawaii” say the owners of Snow At Home. (Sorry, if you want a link to this, you’re gonna have to find it yourself.) I guess our SUVs, luxury boats, motor homes and swimming pools aren’t enough. We gotta have it - all.

I don’t know…just how long can we continue to have our planet and eat it, too?