The National Basketball Association is quickly becoming just as famous for getting bottles in bins as it is for balls in hoops. That’s because the NBA has partnered with the National Resource Defense Council to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the world’s preeminent basketball league. From green building to grassroots activism, the NBA is showing initiative in making professional sports a more sustainable venture.

On February 12, as part of the lead up to this month’s All-Star game in New Orleans, the NBA hosted a star-studded event promoting cell phone and electronic recycling. Former NBA players PJ Brown and Dikembe Mutombo met fans and signed autographs at the Sprint Store in Harvey, Louisiana. The two former players helped fans recycle their old cell phones and left with positive reviews about the NBA’s green initiative. The Times-Picayune quoted Dikembe Mutombo saying, “This is a great initiative to help America go green.” Also during this month’s All-Star week, the NBA will host a Discover Green event which will feature bicycle-powered cell phone charging stations and simple tips to help reduce your daily environmental impact.

Last April, as part of its partnership with the NRDC, the NBA pledged to offset 10 million pounds of CO₂ emissions. Also during Green Week, players wore special t-shirts with the NBA’s green initiative logo to help raise awareness for its programs. And the green initiatives are not confined to the 30 teams in the NBA, as minor league teams such as the Santa Cruz Warriors have teamed up with non-profits to promote the community’s environmental health.

Aside from these community greening events, the league is also taking steps to ensure its games have as small an impact as possible. The NBA’s newest arena, Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, recently became the first sports and entertainment venue in the New York metro area to achieve a LEED silver status. Barclays Center achieved this distinction through its installation of low-flow toilets, 91% sustainable wood features, and a Cor-Ten steel framework.

The NBA is working hard to green its game, and it appears that other professional sports leagues such as Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League are trying to do their part as well. Because of the unique platform that these leagues possess, their contributions to environmental awareness and alternative energies are invaluable, and we hope that they continue to lead the way. – Callum Beals

This article originally appeared on Sierra Magazine

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The post The NBA Hits a Three-Pointer with a Small Carbon Footprint: Green Initiatives Take Center Court appeared first on EcoSalon.

A look back at all the amazing places and spaces we can go to worldwide.

It’s time to look back at some of the fabulous, luxe, glamped out and gorgeous havens, hotels and resorts we’ve covered in Places & Spaces this year. Be it for for their standard-bearing eco-consciousness and innovative energy-saving, or inimitable style and originality (or, indeed all four), these hotels all merited mentioning. And now they bear ranking as our favorites.

Top LEED Certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

CityFlatsHotel, Holland, Michigan

This LEED Gold-certified hotel has eco-friendly features such as extra-thick insulating curtains, large windows for natural lighting, recycled materials and intelligent occupancy systems to save on heating, cooling and illumination when you’re not there.

Bardessono, Yountville, California
Made from recycled materials and using only renewable energy sources, this is one of only two LEED Platinum certified hotels in the world. Temperature control includes simple but effective blinds, while the rooms are large and the food renowned. Free wine tastings – as you’d expect from a hotel in Napa Valley.

Crosby Street, New York
A converted warehouse in SoHo, this was one of New York’s first LEED Gold certified hotels, with sustainable power, recycled materials, a vegetable garden and chicken coop on the roof.

Orchard Garden, San Francisco
Non-toxic paint and recycled building materials and carpets are some of the features which led to this Union Square hotel being the third LEED-certified hotel in the US.

Top Roughing It

Canvas Hotel, Norway
On an island in a lake, this yurt hotel is aimed at cyclists. After a day on two wheels, ease your aching muscles in a sauna, or portable bathtubs – pick your preferred soaking spot; wild swimming inevitable.

The post The Top Places & Spaces of 2011 appeared first on EcoSalon.

Portland is considered one of the greenest cities and is fast becoming a major player in sustainable fashion, food and culture. But did you know that Portland has historic architecture? It’s true. The famous “Made in Oregon” sign (image above) sits atop the historic White Stag building, built in 1907.

Portland also has people more interested in renovating and restoring the old rather than tearing down and building new. A winning combination.

So when the University of Oregon needed to develop a satellite campus, it chose to renovate the three commercial buildings known as the White Stag Block. Located in Old Town (also known as Portland’s Skidmore District), the buildings – Bickel (image above before renovation), Skidmore and White Stag – formerly housed a china importer, logging machinery company and an outdoor supply company. But after years of sitting unused, all three were in very bad shape, as was the entire neighborhood.

The project of unifying and updating all three building on the inside, yet respecting and embracing the architectural elements on the outside was a daunting one. Significant parts of the facades were missing; one of the buildings had major fire damage; every system was outdated and in disrepair.

But the developers and investors focused on the goal of retaining the separate identities of each space while adhering to LEED-certified standards. During construction they used materials from within 500 miles of the site and 95% of the waste created was recycled or reused.

Other green technologies and elements utilized include: energy efficient heating and cooling systems; non-toxic and sustainable paints, carpets, sealants and woods; low-flow fixtures and a rainwater harvesting system that reduces city water usage by up to 86%; roof insulation; solar energy cells; high-performance windows and weather-proofing all the historic windows (image below).

The result is one of the few buildings in the U.S. that is both on the National Register of Historic Places and Gold LEED-certified. The White Stag Block has also been recognized with a 2010 National Preservation Award. Stephanie Meeks, president of National Trust for Historic Preservation:

“The restoration of the White Stag Block is a triumph in every sense of the word. Long-neglected buildings have become vibrant showplaces, and a formerly rundown neighborhood is a model of preservation, sustainability and community rebirth. What better lesson could a university teach?”

Today the White Stag Block houses the University of Oregon bookstore (The Duck Store), numerous University classrooms (image above), as well as other businesses and special events. It has succeeded in bringing some life back to the historic Old Town neighborhood as well as showcasing advances in green technology.

Images: Dan Haneckow, thrift store cowboy, Fai C, daddio 2 five.

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