The low-carbon diet is a growing trend in the sports and entertainment industries, where Fox TV’s 24 and pro basketball’s Los Angeles Clippers are using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to cut their climate calories.

“Our goals are to fully understand our carbon and energy impact, to reduce that impact significantly, and inspire our employees to take action on this issue in their business and personal lives,” said Rachel Webber from News Corporation, the parent company of Twentieth Century Fox Television, which produces 24. “We have just begun this effort, and we hope it encourages others in the industry to do the same.”

“The GHG Protocol is considered the standard international accounting tool for government and business leaders to measure and manage corporate greenhouse gas emissions,” said Pankaj Bhatia, director of the GHG Protocol at the World Resources Institute (WRI). The GHG Protocol was established in 1998 by WRI and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Bhatia added, “It’s thrilling to see the application of our GHG Protocol in the sports and entertainment sectors, and in television shows like 24.”

When the producers of 24, starring Kiefer Sutherland, started using the GHG Protocol to calculate emissions, they found the largest sources originated from vehicles, special effects, and onsite generators. By changing some of the production practices, such as switching to biodiesel and hybrid cars, emissions were reduced by 43 percent.

The show’s environmental commitment is part of News Corporation’s global energy initiative to address its impact on climate change and lower the energy use of its businesses.

The sports industry is also striving to reduce emissions. The Los Angeles Clippers have teamed up with BeGreen, whose carbon offset methodologies are based on the GHG Protocol. To raise awareness of Earth Day 2009, the Clippers used a portion of their ticket sales from the game that day to reduce emissions from fan travel to and from the game and electricity usage at the Staples Center.

Also planning to use the GHG Protocol is Vancouver’s Olympic organizing committee. They hope to offset up to 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the games – equal to the annual emissions from 50,000 European homes.

Since the publication of the first edition of The Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Standard in 2001, more than 1,000 businesses and organizations worldwide are using the GHG Protocol, including some of the world’s largest companies. The 2007 Corporate Climate Communications Report of the Fortune 500 companies by CoporateRegister.com reported that 63 percent of those companies use the GHG Protocol.

Other companies from various industries using the GHG Protocol include Target, Ikea, Unilever, Gap, Shell, Caterpillar, Marriott, Starbucks, General Electric, BP, IBM, VW, Bank of America, Timberland, Sony, Nike, 3M, Ford, Alcoa, Frito Lay, Staples, Xerox, Astra Zeneca and Wal-Mart.

The annual croquet competition between St. John’s College and the U.S. Naval Academy brought thousands of spectators to Annapolis, Maryland.

As Jessica Forres reports… the sport acts as a bridge between the rival schools.



Lavish picnics and nearly 2000 people…many of whom are dressed like characters from the Great Gatsby… are spread out across the lawn in front of St. John’s College.

They are watching the 27th annual Annapolis cup…. a croquet match between the college's so-called Johnnies and the Midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy…

JoAnn Mattson is St. John’s Director of Alumni Relations…. She says the tradition started in 1984.

SOME MIDS AND SOME JOHNIES WERE ARGUING ABOUT MAYBE THEIR MASCULINITY, I DON’T KNOW AND THE MIDS CHALLENGED THE JOHNNIES TO COME UP WITH A SPORT THAT THEY COULD BEAT THE MIDS AT. THEY SAID WE CAN BEAT YOU AT ANYTHING. AND THEY THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID CROQUET.

Though the two schools are across the street from one another, she says ideologically they are miles apart.

UNTIL THIS EVENT STARTED, WE DIDN’T HAVE A MIDDLE MIXING GROUND. AND THERE COULD BE SOME ANIMOSITY AND OVER THE YEARS AND I KNOW THERE WAS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.

Colonel David Mollahan..clad in uniform... agrees.

THE TYPE OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO THE NAVAL ACADEMY AND THE TYPE OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO ST. JOHN’S THEY HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH THEY LOOK AT THE WORLD AND YET THEY COME TOGETHER AND HAVE A NICE EVENT.

Watching from the sidelines, Craig Martin, the owner of a barber shop in Baltimore, is rooting for the Midshipmen.

I GET MORE CUSTOMERS FROM THE US NAVAL ACADEMY THEN ST. JOHN’S

St. John’s won the contest yesterday for the 22nd time since the tradition started.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Runners weren’t the only ones taking part in the fourth annual National Marathon… the event also brought out local peanut farmers who are racing to rebuild consumer confidence in their products.

Jessica Forres was there…



[NAT: GET YOUR PEANUTS]

That’s Clarke Fox…a peanut grower in Virginia. He’s at the D-C armory passing out airplane size peanut bags.

I CAME OUT TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE BENEFITS OF PEANUTS.

He says times have been tough since January when more than 2-thousand peanut products tested positive for Salmonella and they were all recalled.

THE MARKETPLACE ISN’T SUPPORTING THE PEANUT INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW BUT WE’RE HOPING FOR A QUICK TURN AROUND TO GET THIS THING BACK ROLLING AGAIN.

Marie Fenn, with the National Peanut Board hopes attending events such as the National Marathon… will do just that and rebuild consumer confidence.

MOSTLY WHAT WE’RE HEARING IS OH PEANUTS I LOVE PEANUTS…

Fenn says major national brands of jarred peanut butter were not among the products recalled.

_________

Peanut farmers are reaching out to marathon runners and their supporters in hopes of restoring consumer confidence in their products…

Jessica Forres reports…

Runners…taking part in the fourth annual National Marathon…are crossing the finish line at D-C’s armory.

[NAT: ANTHONY PERKINS]

They are being greeted by the customary race officials and someone they may not have expected, a peanut farmer from Virginia. Clarke Fox is passing out packets of peanuts. He hopes this little snack will wet their appetite for more. Fox says times have been tough this year after more than 2-thousand peanut products were recalled following a Salmonella outbreak.

WELL RIGHT NOW I’M COMMITTED TO GROWING ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF WHAT I HAD PLANNED ON GROWING FOR THIS COMING YEAR.

Standing next to Fox, Marie Fenn with the National Peanut Board says their free samples seem to be working...

WE’VE HAD A FEW PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS SO WE CAN HELP TO CLARIFY THAT PEANUT BUTTER SOLD IN THEIR GROCERY STORE AND IN THE JARS HAS NEVER BEEN IMPACTED BY THE RECALL.

Published reports have suggested jarred peanut butter sales decreased about 20 percent in January compared to the same time period last year.

The District has launched a new after-school initiative that offers free tennis to middle school students.

Jessica Forres reports…



George Harris, a 7th grader, is playing tennis at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. He is holding a racquet and a ball made of foam.

IT'S MORE THAN JUST TENNIS, IT'S COME TOGETHER AS A LOT OF PEOPLE. IT'S HAVING FUN AS A UNIT.

He and eighty students from seven District middle schools take part in after-school programs run by Project My Time, part of the DC Children and youth Investment Trust Corporation.

Meeta Sharma-Holt… the project director…says it's the first time the students have come together to learn...and play in teams.

ONE OF OUR LONG TERM GOALS IS TO TRY TO BRING TENNIS INTO THE DCPS ATHLETIC CURRICULUM SO THAT DURING THE SCHOOL DAY THEY ARE PRACTICING AND THEN IN THE AFTER SCHOOL PLAY AS PART OF A LEAGUE.

She says the Trust will hold three tournaments a year.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Biking is paying off for some employees in the Washington region.

Jessica Forres reports.

LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

For some, free parking and metro benefits are job perks. But for Angela Atwood-Moore, a biologist, it’s bike bucks…a program she started for commuters who cycle to work at the National Institutes of Health.

PEOPLE ARE SO HAPPY TO GET SOME MONEY BACK IN THEIR POCKET BUT THEY’RE ALSO REALLY HAPPY THAT CYCLING IS GETTING RECOGNIZED BY SOMEBODY.

She says employees get five bike bucks for every 1-hundred miles they commute, which they can cash in at two local bike stores.

[NAT: Bike noise]

At City Bikes in Bethesda, Shawn Blumenfeld says they have a similar program but with a few local companies.

AS A BIKE STORE IT’S WORTH OUR WHILE AT CITY BIKES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT KIND OF PROGRAM CUZ IT GETS THOSE COMMUTERSTHOSE EVERYDAY RIDERS INTO THE STORE.

Henry Mesias is with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. He says shower facilities and lockers are some other employee benefits.

LIKE YOU’RE SEEING WITH NIH THEY’RE STARTING TO BECOME MORE PRESENT BUT THEY’RE NOT AT WHAT THEY NEED TO BE YET.

Mesias says federal legislation allowing incentives for bikers has passed in the House. It still has to be approved by the Senate.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

The Washington Kastles, DC’s new tennis team, celebrated opening day with a youth tennis clinic where Serena Williams made an appearance.

I attended the event

Nearly a thousand people showed up at D-C's Fort Lincoln RecreationCenter to show their support for youth baseball in the District…

I attended the event.

Listen to the story

Washington, DC is building a tennis stadium for the Washington Kastles, the city's new pro tennis team.

Listen to the story about champion tennis player Billie Jean King's newest team the Washington Kastles

Listen to the story about how the new stadium will help DC's economy.