Hi and welcome back!
In the previous post, Natasha touched on the pollution brought about by the massive movement of people during mega sporting events. In particular, how such movements lead to thousands of trails of carbon footprint through transport and food wastage! Building on this, I seek to share with you the other ways in which mega sporting events pollute the environment.
Merchandising
Merchandises are a huge part of mega sporting events. They not only function to promote these events, but are also a way for fans to be identified and feel a connection to the team that they support . Most important of all, the sale of merchandise form a substantial part of the revenue generated from these events.
Production and packaging of merchandising are not always done in the most environmentally-friendly methods. At times, sponsoring companies may not hold onto ethical or pollutive methods of production when mass producing these products for mega sporting events.
(Source: Getty)
One notable product that can be seen in almost any major sporting events is the Thundersticks. Traditional thundersticks are made of non-biodegradable plastic. Just imagine the amount of plastic debris that will be accumulated from these events if each spectator were given a pair! Thankfully, there has been innovations of new, biodegradable thundersticks by the Lootpworks company, who worked with the Blazers and NBA to create such eco-friendly thundersticks (Chalmers, 2018). However, much attention still needs to be given to green up the merchandising aspect sporting events.
Furthermore, with the increase in purchasing power of the middle-class, it would only mean that the demand and supply of merchandise and like-products will continue to grow. Revenue from merchandising is expected to grow at the fastest rate across all revenue sources, at a rate of 7% (Torrens University Australia, 2020). Consequently, this would create a devastating impact on our one-and-only earth that is already being destructed.
Noise and light
Though it may seem as though noise and light pollution are temporary forms of pollution on the environment, we ought to take into account the possible permanent impact the human and ecological systems around it.
(Source: Getty)
For example, plastic trumpets, also known as vuvuzelas, found in the 2010 South African World Cup produces an enormously loud sound. It is known to be part of South African soccer. A study conducted on “11 spectators exposed to vuvuzelas at a 30,000-seat stadium showed significant decrease in hearing” (Reuters Staff, 2010). Additionally, the researcher noted that although it may seem temporary, continuous exposure to the noise can potentially cause permanent damage!
The pollutive impacts of major sporting events may not be obvious to us. Yet, this presents an opportunity for us to learn about the issues that surrounds it. As you continue with us in this journey, we hope that you will be able to gain some useful knowledge and be better informed about our world — especially with regards to such sporting events.
Next week, we will learn about how football have impacted the environment through the regional and worldwide tournaments. Stay tuned!
Cheers,
Eunice
References
Chalmers, K. (2018). Making some noise: New, biodegradable thundesticks at Blazers games this season. KGW. Available from: https://www.kgw.com/article/tech/science/environment/green/making-some-noise-new-biodegradable-thundersticks-at-blazers-games-this-season/283-605475164 [Accessed 16 September 2020].
Reuters Staff. (2010). Bring your ear plugs to the World Cup. Reuters. Available from: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-world-trumpets-idUSTRE63L3ZN20100422 [Accessed 16 September 2020].
Torrens University Australia. (2020). Why the Sports Industry is Booming in 2020 (and which key players are driving growth). Torrens University Australia.Available from: https://www.pwc.ch/en/publications/2019/PwC-Sports-Survey-2019-web.pdf [Accessed 16 September 2020].