NASCAR, Rooted in Fossil Fuels, Turning over New, Green Leaf
by Nate Ryan (USA Today) …The concept might seem incongruous in a sport inherently tied to an internal combustion engine that many find synonymous with global warming, but NASCAR, despite cars with an eye-popping 5 mpg, is trying to embrace its eco-conscious side as the federal government has begun prodding the racing industry to become leaders in efficiency.
Racetracks are building solar farms to power their air-conditioned suites and planting trees to offset their carbon emissions. Teams such as Roush Fenway Racing are outfitting their race shops to meet stringent standards for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and being careful not to leave their 18-wheel haulers idling. Sponsors are ramping up recycling programs and marketing hybrids and high-efficiency products through racing.
NASCAR has consulted with former vice president Al Gore and held summits with sponsors to organize efforts to reduce its carbon footprint in campgrounds and grandstands at tracks. Using a formula for competition- and fan-produced pollution, Carbonfund.org calculated the carbon footprint of the 2008 Daytona 500 as 14,163 tons. In 2007, sponsor Carfax made an environmental donation to offset more than 4,200 tons of emissions for a Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway
On the competition side, NASCAR is exploring the replacement of its carburetors with more efficient fuel injection (perhaps as early as 2011) and the use of alternative fuels in at least one of its national series. READ MORE
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