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Carbon footprint of a transatlantic league


slowdive

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Given the damaging effects of air travel on the environment, surely the last thing we should be looking to do is to increase our carbon footprint by creating a transatlantic league.  Sorry, but on environmental grounds alone, I don't think it's the right thing to do.

"At times to be silent is to lie. You will win because you have enough brute force. But you will not convince. For to convince you need to persuade. And in order to persuade you would need what you lack: Reason and Right."

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41 minutes ago, slowdive said:

Given the damaging effects of air travel on the environment, surely the last thing we should be looking to do is to increase our carbon footprint by creating a transatlantic league.  Sorry, but on environmental grounds alone, I don't think it's the right thing to do.

This is one of those situations where everyone has a right to their opinion, but threads usually deteriorate into petty arguments not looked at objectively ? (providing this isn’t a bored trolling attempt of course)...

I like to look after the environment and do my bit where I can, but in response to your post I have to ask the question - are we just jumping on the ‘unnecessary air travel’ bandwagon here? 

The reason I say that is that all too often we see people protesting for ‘the cause’ over a particular element of environmentalism or human rights etc without backing this up with any integrity. One thing I’ve noticed as a recurring theme with Extinction Rebellion members is that they’re generally young, admirably passionate, but often from a background that has had a far larger carbon impact than the people they are disrupting... I haven’t seen any of them talk about targeting their Range-Rover driving parents living in their large Surrey mansions (yes I’m stereotyping a little there for effect ?). When said protesters can finally convince me that they’re genuine and back that up with proof of integrity, living in eco-friendly sole-powered compounds in inner city brownfield regeneration areas, travelling to work by bike etc then I’ll push myself to try even harder to follow their recommendations.

It’s a little bit like the (quite justified) human rights uproar over the Soccer World Cup in Qatar. We all like to denounce slave labour yet none of us seem to give up our lifestyle reliance on cheap clothes, electrical goods, fuel etc. How many of us are happy to join the verbal fight without actually doing anything worthwhile ourselves?

Discuss.

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Some good points Cheshire.

Given the pace of climate change and the increasing pace of opposition to pollutants, particularly air travel, I wonder whether the idea of setting up a transatlantic league will seem quite anachronistic before very long. 

It's very easy I agree to get on your high horse and criticise this and that without examining one's own practices, but actively establishing a trans atlantic league which involves multiple air miles seems to be actively heading in the wrong direction.

"At times to be silent is to lie. You will win because you have enough brute force. But you will not convince. For to convince you need to persuade. And in order to persuade you would need what you lack: Reason and Right."

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10 minutes ago, slowdive said:

actively establishing a trans atlantic league which involves multiple air miles seems to be actively heading in the wrong direction

In the big scheme of things probably makes almost negligible increase on the environmental impact, but I can see your point if you mean in terms of ‘leading by example’ and setting a standard to follow as a sport.

However, if we stand still and let other sports expand in said fashion RL might not even exist in the future.

On the other hand, if the transatlantic experiment fails one can argue that it was just a big predictable waste of carbon.

If I was the RFL I’d be pressing ahead with plans whilst at the same time offsetting the effects through other methods and publicising the fact that we are offsetting that footprint.   Win-win.   But I’m not the RFL.

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As someone that is studying a sustainability course, a still believe this is scraping the bottom of the barrel as for reasons against NA expansion. I mean, the planes are still flying those transatlantic routes with or without a rugby league team on board.

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You could of course argue that Rugby League, and some of its fans, have done it's upmost for 100+ years to have a small a carbon footprint as possible.

Restricting the teams, frowning on clubs and fans in new areas and concentrating on the M62 corridor has been way ahead of its time. It's like we have been the original eco sport.

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10 minutes ago, Omott91 said:

Kelp farms would be a lot better. 

I wasn’t aware of this and just googled it:

Seems the plan is to take all that nasty stuff and dump it on the poor souls at the very bottom of society (or the ocean in this case). A bit like creating nuclear power in the 60s and dumping the waste reprocessing plant as far away from London as possible ?

F87478DE-E51B-4922-ADCA-698A03449929.jpeg

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1 hour ago, slowdive said:

Given the damaging effects of air travel on the environment, surely the last thing we should be looking to do is to increase our carbon footprint by creating a transatlantic league.  Sorry, but on environmental grounds alone, I don't think it's the right thing to do.

Presumably you live in an off-grid, zero carbon emitting home, Never fly, don't own a car, don't use any sort of public transport and grow all your own food ?

St.Helens - The Home of record breaking Rugby Champions

 

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1 hour ago, Saint Toppy said:

Presumably you live in an off-grid, zero carbon emitting home, Never fly, don't own a car, don't use any sort of public transport and grow all your own food ?

That's genuinely the worst argument for not doing something, ever.

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3 hours ago, slowdive said:

Given the damaging effects of air travel on the environment, surely the last thing we should be looking to do is to increase our carbon footprint by creating a transatlantic league.  Sorry, but on environmental grounds alone, I don't think it's the right thing to do.

Worry thee not. Ralf’s sorted a new sponsor. Just getting the logos sorted. 

 

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030910105148.jpg

http://www.wiganstpats.org

Producing Players Since 1910

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i run in and out of work instead of driving so I am allowed to comment on this and what i say must now hold more weight i would assume  :kolobok_ph34r: (which is ironic as i now hold less weight... not much as I offset the calories burnt by eating more..)

you are in all seriousness only looking at the team travelling. Clubs will need to get more into not relying on travelling supporters if we go more "transatlantic" or even just more European. US teams dont have massive travelling fans as every away trip is "quite a long way" unless you are the Giants v the Jets etc.. I dont really see it being a big battle.. however, I also wouldnt suggest doing a "prince Harry" and start going on about how "environmentally aware" the game is and then push a transatlantic league either as its probably  a bit of a PR boob

 

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1 hour ago, M j M said:

That's genuinely the worst argument for not doing something, ever.

I always find it amusing and hypocritical, the people who are so quick to jump on the Environmental band wagon who aren't doing everything they possibly can to reduce their own impact.

Take all those kids who took the day off school to march through the streets in protest, only for the very next day large numbers of them probably returned to being dropped off by car or used some highly polluting diesel powered bus. Followed by the lame excuses of its too cold, too dark, too wet, its too far, not safe, they have to get up too early, etc. for them not to walk or cycle to school.

Same with large numbers of the climate change protesters - how many of them have converted their homes to be fully eco friendly and are off-grid so not contributing to the demand for main grid energy ? very few probably. We then hear the "but I've got an electric car..." argument - big deal, you still charge it from the national grid, your batteries are incredibly difficult to recycle and most end up in landfill, your carbon brakes and rubber tyres still pollute the environment ! 

Its fine to protest and jump on the bandwagon as long as your doing all those things yourself, otherwise its completely hypocritical.

St.Helens - The Home of record breaking Rugby Champions

 

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4 hours ago, slowdive said:

Given the damaging effects of air travel on the environment, surely the last thing we should be looking to do is to increase our carbon footprint by creating a transatlantic league.  Sorry, but on environmental grounds alone, I don't think it's the right thing to do.

But this carbon footprint will be offset if Fev get promoted and use their horse and cart to get to games.

Also if the players collect the manure along the way can’t this be mixed with the air fuel to reduce the emissions?

I will sit back and wait for my old work colleague David Shepherd to reply on here ?

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