CARHA Hockey recently heard that one of our leagues, the Whitehorse Women’s Hockey Association, was making huge efforts to combat global warming and become fully green.

These efforts are led by Kim Lisgo, the President, who is very passionate about making a change and is very inspirational.

We had the opportunity to ask Kim a few questions, seen below, about their efforts to fight global warming.

Check it out, and start doing your part today!

What inspired you and your league to make an effort to fight global warming?

As a global citizen, I feel that I have a moral responsibility to do what I can to limit global warming. In September, the United Nations (UN) released a report on global warming that gives humanity 12 years to clean up our act and limit global warming to 1.5C to avoid catastrophic effects. According to a recent study, Canadians are not doing well, and if the world went about its business like we do, the world would warm by 5.1°C. The good news is that we can limit warming, but we must pull up our socks now. As a hockey community, we are well organized, which puts us in a good position to share ideas and effectively work together on fighting global warming.

What are some specific actions that your league is taking to help the cause?

Hockey is a sport with considerable carbon emissions, including travel to and from the arena and tournaments, and the maintenance of indoor facilities. As a league, we are just getting started with regards to addressing our carbon emissions. This year, we will be ramping up efforts to support carpooling amongst our players, starting with a simple online database. I am hoping that we will have a smart phone application in place by next season. We will be purchasing carbon offsets. We have also adopted the zero waste philosophy and are working towards reducing organic and non-organic waste produced by our league.

Are there any small things that every individual that plays hockey can do to do their part?

If we are to keep global warming below 1.5°C, we need to go big. Small is no longer an option. In terms of hockey, our individual emissions largely come from transportation and the purchase of hockey equipment and beverages. I think that carpooling or the use of public transit for travel to and from the rink would be the most impactful thing that hockey players could do to help reduce the carbon footprint of our sport. Before hopping on a plane to attend a hockey tournament, think about organizing something at home, or go every other year, rather than yearly. Purchase quality carbon offsets such as those endorsed by The Gold Standard (www.goldstandard.org) and support reforestation efforts (e.g., treescanada.ca and 400trees.org).  Encourage league and tournament organizers to add the purchase of carbon offsets to registration fees. Donate and purchase used equipment whenever possible, and buy beverages produced locally. The hope is that these types of actions will extend into our every day lives and not only when we are thinking about hockey.

What advice do you have for the people that don’t think they can make a difference?

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead

This wonderful quote speaks to the power of people mobilizing. Just like hockey, fighting global warming is a team sport. As individuals, our every day choices and actions matter. If we work together, and each do our part, we can have a winning outcome.