Grassroots sporting Clubs

Hershkowitz said while the problems are global the solutions need to be implemented locally.

"There are global conversations, like the Paris Agreement, but at the end of the day the majority of action has to be taken by what is referred to as non-State actors. In the sports context you’re talking about community-based sport organisations. Some of these are professional sports clubs, some are collegiate organisations, some of them are local amateur clubs. Everyone has to do something related to this issue.

Dr Allen Hershkowitz

Nothing too small to matter

"People need to have the confidence and the courage to know that small things are helpful. In fact as Mother Teresa said we cannot do great things, only small things with great love.

“I’m working literally on individual hot dogs at Yankee Stadium. I’m working on individual straws.  I’m working bottle by bottle, can by can. I’m often asked, is it enough? Are we doing enough? Is what the Yankees doing enough? Is what the US Open doing enough? My response is, I really don’t even understand that question.  What does enough mean? We are not going to resolve global warming. We are going to have to manage the chemistry in the atmosphere forever.  It is going to be an ongoing management issue for humanity in the same way that we are paying attention to gender bias, slavery and racism for centuries. 

“These are issues we have to continually manage in a humanitarian way forever. And the same goes for global warming and deforestation and ocean acidification. These issues are still getting worse. Last year we used more oil and coal than the year before. The concentration of carbon in the atmosphere is continuing to rise. What can community clubs do? It implies that somehow or other they are an addition to solving the problem when my position is that they are actually the backbone of implementation.”

Dr Allen Hershkowitz and Matt Nicholas recently spoke at a Sports Environment Alliance (SEA) event. SEA is a supporter of Clubbies.