Athletes' Voices | Pitch for Change | GOALS FOR THE EARTH | Green Sports

Via Zoom,Cambridge MA 02138

14 January, 2021

Description

Athletes' Voices | Pitch for Change | Sports, Academics, Business + Philanthropy Leaders Speaking Up + Speaking Out On Critical Issues Athletes' Voices | Pitch for Change Speaker Series | 2020 - 2021 | Harvard University's Global Sports Initiative at the Weatherhead Initiative (Webcast)ZOOM LINK TO BE PROVIDED(ALSO WILL STREAM LIVE ON FACEBOOK @ATHLETESVOICES and on Sports on Facebook)Join some of the greatest athletes, academics, business leaders, and philanthropists for a series of conversations focused on the most critical issues of 2020/2021 through a groundbreaking speaker series - Athletes' Voices, in collaboration with Harvard University's Global Sports Initiative at the Weatherhead Initiative on Global History and the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School. THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021 | 5:00 PM ET - 6:30 PM ET (2:00 PM PT - 3:30 PM PT) GOALS FOR THE EARTH | GREEN SPORTS | Voices for Sustainability, Environmentalism and Natural Resources Join Athletes' Voices on January 14, 2021 at 5 PM ET / 2 PM PT for an important and timely discussion on the connection between sports and conservation, sustainability, natural resources and the environment. "Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the Earth.” —Henry David Thoreau "I think when a surfer becomes a surfer, it's almost like an obligation to be an environmentalist at the same time." —Kelly Slater Featuring eco-warriors including Harvard-educated NHL Legend Andrew Ference, UK Paralympic Sailing Medalist Alexandra Rickham, Australian Netballer Amy Steel, MMA champion and documentarian James Wilks, EcoAthletes and GreenSportsBlog President Lew Blaustein, Sport Ecology Group (SEG) Co-Founder Maddy Orr PhD; and Event Moderator, Green Sports Alliance Executive Director Roger McClendon, this will be a provocative and action-oriented conversation. bi·o·sphere /ˈbīəˌsfir/ A global ecosystem composed of living organisms (biota) and the abiotic (nonliving) factors from which they derive energy and nutrients. The zone of life on Earth. Life sustaining, life enhancing. The air runners breathe when competing in a marathon. Surfers on the shore, searching for the best possible waves to ride. Snowfall in November creating a pristine pathway for a cross country skier. An ice climber scaling a mountain. A soccer team taking the pitch, cleats gliding across the perfectly manicured turf enhanced by recent rainfall. Hikers. Long jumpers. A game of pick up basketball. Pentathletes and their equestrian partners jumping. Earth, wind, water, fire - the basic elements of nature required to sustain life - in balance are essential for an athlete to achieve peak performance. To perform at the highest levels, athletes need to be in peak physical form. However, even as sports promote health, they can also have negative consequences on the environment. Through the practice of sport and the consequences of consumerism and mega events, fragile ecosystems are often disrupted. Sports are also heavily impacted by degraded environments - runners can't train when the air quality is poor. Surfers' desire for the best possible waves to ride make them dependent on the unpredictable nature of weather events and their effect on the surface of the ocean. Melting glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe droughts increase wildfires. Rising sea levels cause flooding, destroy food sources and disrupt habitats. Hot areas become hotter, cold areas colder. Researchers say that of the nineteen venues that have hosted the Winter Olympics, just ten will be able to hold them by 2050 (BBC News, 20 June 2020). Organizations like The Green Sports Alliance are "leveraging the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities, mobilizing sports organizations, communities, athletes, and fans to create sustainable progress and behavioral change." Athletes across all sports are seeking to raise awareness around sustainability. With this fourth installment of our Pitch for Change Speaker Series, Athletes' Voices continues to inspire impact and amplify athletes' voices as influencers around a wide range of topics, including conservation, sustainability and the environment. Featured athletes on the webcast include: Andrew Ference | NHL Legend (16 seasons), Stanley Cup winner (2011) , WHL Humanitarian of the Year (2014), Harvard University - Corporate Sustainability and Innovation Certificate, Green Sports Alliance Board Member; NHL - Director of Social Impact, Growth and Legislative AffairsAlexandra Rickham | British/Jamaican Paralympic Sailor, 2x Paralympic bronze medalist, EcoAthletes ChampionAmy Steel | Australian Netball professional player, National Team member, EcoAthletes Champion; Audit + Assurance Partner, DeloitteJames Wilks | Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Champion (UFC), winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom; leading role in the film The Game Changers (2018) produced by James CameronSubject matter experts include: Roger McClendon | Executive Director, Green Sports Alliance; Former Chief Sustainability Officer, Yum! BrandsLew Blaustein | President + Founder, GreenSportsBlog; President, EcoAthletes; President, LBS Green SolutionsMaddy Orr, PhD | Sport Ecology Group Founder + Co-Director, Assistant Professor of Sports Management, SUNY CortlandPitch for Change has curated a fascinating group of influencers who will share their first-hand accounts, professional perspective and suggested action items around sports as a conduit for awareness around sustainability, conservation and . Join us on Thursday, January 14, 2021. _________________________ Register today for the third session on Thursday, January 14, 2021 from 5pm - 6:30pm ET / 2pm - 3:30pm PT and to stay informed about upcoming conversations. Webcast link to be provided prior to meeting. The program will also be simulcast on Sports on Facebook. For more information, to suggest panelists or topics or to learn how you can support Athletes' Voices as a sponsor or patron, please email [email protected] or visit us on Instagram @athletesvox. To learn more about the Weatherhead Initiative on Global History and the Global Sports Initiative at Harvard University, please visit https://wigh.wcfia.harvard.edu/global-sports. _____________________________ Moses Fleetwood Walker. Paul Robeson. Gertrude Ederle. Muhammed Ali. Althea Gibson. Katherine Switzer. The Syracuse 8. Billie Jean King. Jim Brown. Loretta Claiborne. Chris Ernst, Yale University + Title IX. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Tim Thomas. Melissa Stockwell. Carlos Delgado. Miami Heat (3.12.2012). LeBron James. Eric Reid. Colin Kaepernick. Athletes + Activism. The two have been connected since the earliest sporting events - long before Moses Fleetwood Walker took the field on May 1, 1884 in Toledo, Ohio as the first African-American Major League baseball player. But never before has the presence of athlete activism been as prevalent nor as pervasive as it is today. The Athletes' Voices | Pitch for Change Speaker Series will examine the historical roots and modern manifestation of athletes speaking up and speaking out about issues of importance. Topics covered will include: voting, mental health, play equity, incarceration, diversity and inclusion, educational persistence, sustainability, and more. Join us as Athletes' Voices takes you to the 50 yard line where athletes, business leaders, philanthropists and academics will share insiders' perspectives on today's climate for social impact and influence through sports. Most conversations will be hosted on the first Thursday of each month between October 2020 and May 2021. All will be offered FREE to the general public in an effort to increase awareness and access to the topics and the thought leaders. Topics to be covered between October 2020 and May 2021 though the webcast Speaker Series include: The Origins of Change | The Role of Sports in Breaking Down Barriers, Creating Movements + Leaving a Legacy (October 1, 2020 - posted at AthletesVoices.org)Voting + Political Activism + Involvement | Locally, Nationally, Globally - Athletes + Voter Engagement (October 22, 2020 - posted at https://www.facebook.com/athletesvoices)Policing, Incarceration + Bias | Athletes as Advocates, Survivors + Champions Media, Press + Public Perception | The Role of the Athlete in Public DiscourseMental Health + Emotional Well-Being | The Positive + Negative Influences of Sports (December 10, 2020 - posted at https://www.facebook.com/athletesvoices Green Sports | The Impact of Mega Sports Events on Environmentalism, Sustainability + Natural ResourcesDiversity, Equity + Inclusion | Sports + the Opportunity to Influence the WorkplaceHealth + Wellness | Athletes' Roles in Increasing Visibility Around Healthcare Access, Disease Prevention, Substance Use + Body Image NormsPlay Equity | Access to Organized Sports, Physical Education their Benefits Beyond the PlaygroundK-12 Education | Representation, Access, Resources, Technology + Inspiration - the Role Athletes Play in Academic Persistence