NASCAR Has A Climate Change Question For President Trump

April 11th, 2017 by Tina Casey

Since President Trump is not shy about demonstrating his fondness for the fine sport of golf and his un-fondness for taking action on climate change, this would be a good time for CleanTechnica to take a look at the wide world of sporting organizations that have been taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and influence their fans, too.

With that in mind, a good place to start is the all-American sport of stock car racing, as embodied by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

NASCAR Has A Climate Change Question For You, President Trump

As with a great number of other sporting organizations, NASCAR has been all over climate change like white on rice.

That may seem a bit of an odd pairing, considering that NASCAR is all about the gasmobile. However, NASCAR is not shy about bringing up the c-word, as in carbon.

In fact, the NASCAR website features a page titled “Carbon Quiz,” which asks the all-important question:

Do you know your environmental impact?

Hmmm…we’re not saying that question is aimed squarely at President Trump, but considering all those getaway weekend flights down to his Mar-a-Lago estate, that’s a really good question for the leader of the free world.

Here’s the explainer from NASCAR:

Many of our daily activities – such as using electricity, driving a car, or disposing of waste – cause greenhouse gas emissions. Together these emissions make up a household’s carbon footprint.

Now that NASCAR is encouraging its fans to draw a straight line between human activity and greenhouse gas admissions, it shouldn’t be much of a stretch for President Trump to do the same.

NASCAR Hearts EPA!

NASCAR also does not seem to be on the same page with President Trump when it comes to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

President Trump and his supporters would like to dismantle EPA. That cohort even includes the head of the agency, former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt.

However, if you take the NASCAR Carbon Quiz, when you get to the end you will find a message about your current carbon footprint, and some helpful links for more information on reducing it.

NASCAR suggests the following links:

About Climate Change

EPA’s Climate Change Site

A Student’s Guide to Climate Change

Home Energy Use

EPA’s Climate Change Site: What You Can Do at Home

ENERGY STAR

Lawrence Berkeley Lab’s Home Energy Saver

Transportation

EPA’s Climate Change Site: What You Can Do on the Road

EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide

Fueleconomy.gov

Waste

EPA’s Climate Change and Waste page

EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program

Ermigod did you see what they just did there?

It looks like NASCAR really is not afraid to say “climate change” out loud.

If NASCAR sees some worthwhile programs over there at EPA, perhaps the Trump Administration should take a second look.

Before we leave the Carbon Quiz behind, let’s note that the final page includes pitches for several NASCAR corporate partners that offer products helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including these three:

Electric vehicles such as the Chevy Volt, Ford Focus Electric and Toyota Prius not only provide great fuel economy, but emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional vehicles. Annually, emissions of C02 per vehicle are over 4,000 lbs. less for these vehicles when compared to conventional gas vehicles.

Oh, snap!

NASCAR Goes Green

NASCAR has been on a tear to prove that a fossil-dependent industry can still take significant steps to reduce its carbon emissions, influence its fans, supply chain and affiliated tracks, and foster a transition to more sustainable energy.

It’s an intensive effort backed by top execs at the organization, dubbed the NASCAR Green initiative.

The bottom line is that NASCAR sees sustainability as a way to bring “value and inspiration” to the sport, helping it to compete for eyeballs with the plethora of other offerings crowding for room on the airwaves and Intertubes.

NASCAR’s own fan surveys indicate that its audience is receptive to environmental messaging, and those messages can reach millions:

…One of the largest and most popular spectator sports in the country, NASCAR’s fast-paced, close racing packs the grandstands and attracts millions to television sets and social media for 38 weekends a year.

NASCAR and the industry’s green efforts showcased in front of millions of fans each week is a major shift in the way things were done 10, 15, 20 years ago…

Not for nothing but messaging from the White House can reach millions, too, so it’s a shame we don’t hear more messages about environmental stewardship from the 1600 Daily.

Perhaps NASCAR will get its value and inspiration message through to President Trump some time during Earth Month.

After all, the President is known for his habit of relaxing in front of the TV set when he’s not hitting the links.

Image (screenshot): via NASCAR.











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