Greening your Game

This is for all of you athletes out there!  Going green is now sneaking its way into every sector – including sports!  Here are some neat new ways people around the world are going eco friendly while they play.

Soccer (for my husband):  The sOccket Ball – The newly-developed sOccket Ball is a soccer ball that actually generates energy while you play with it, storing it for later use to power your lighting, cell phone, ipod, etc.  It was developed by a group of female Harvard grads, and is intended for use in developing countries where electricity is scarce and kerosene is often used as a light source.  The sOccket is currently still in the prototype stage, but the company has already implemented youth programs and studies in developing African nations.  They also have plans to release a high-end version of the sOccket in the US and Europe, although no formal date has been announced. More at: www.soccket.com.

Hockey (for my hometown heroes, the Sabres, of course!):  The Brooklyn Park Hockey Rinks in Minnesota are saving energy by using untreated water from a city well to keep their rinks cool.  That’s right, the geothermal project uses an underground heat exchanger to cool the water off, transferring it back to the community center for use in cooling their rinks. They will also be able to recycle heat from the cooling system to use in heating the building.  The project is expected to save the community $60,000 a year, and cut energy usage in half!  Via myfoxtwincities.com.

The Hockey Stick Box – Furniture designer Dorothy Spencer has designed a storage box made entirely from old hockey sticks – and it looks pretty cool, too! Via furniturehomedesign.com.

Football, Baseball & Motor Sports:  Fan Cans – Fan Cans are customizable recycling bins that feature lids shaped like football, baseball or motor sports helmets.  They are made from 50% post-consumer and industrial plastic (we wish it was 100%), and can be ordered in the color and logo of your fave team, driver, etc.  Coca cola is has purchased baseball and football-themed Fan Cans as part of their “Give it Back” campaign, and has implemented them at NFL and MLB games across the country.  More at fancans.com. Via justgoodcars.com.

Skiing:  We may be just about done with winter sports for the season, but when you plan next year’s ski trip, select an eco friendly ski destination from this list from Planet Green.

Surfing:  Ride the waves in style with these bamboo surfboards by Gary Young.

Kayaking (for my Aunt DD): Forego the plastic, and get a low-impact wooden kayak, or if you’re really ambitious, make one yourself! From Guillemot Kayaks.   Also be sure to grab your PVC-free personal floatation device, like this one from Sierra Trading Post.