Date: December 2, 2008 12:05:12 PM PST
To: Recipient List Suppressed:;
Subject: Field Turf looking to have their synthetic turf considered "Green".
Usually Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) sends out articles or studies that deal with environmental issues that affect health and includes no comments in those e-mails. The purpose of our e-mails is simply to increase all of our information about issues affecting our health. However - the article below from Field Turf calls for more.
Field Turf, based in Canada, is one of the major manufacturers of synthetic turf with ground-up rubber tire infill. These fields consist of a plastic - like material that is dyed green to look like grass - and then the blades of plastic are filled in with used ground-up rubber tire pellets the size of bread crumbs. The end result is that there are yards and yards of dyed green plastic with literally tons of used rubber tires ground up and sprinkled loose over the green plastic synthetic field. Field Turf is now saying it will help these plastic fields to get "Leed" certification.
Leed certification indicates that your building is a "green" building. That means, in part, that it is designed and constructed to promote profitability while reducing the negative environmental impacts of buildings and improving occupant health and well-being. You can learn more about Leed Certification at http://www.nrdc.org/buildinggreen/leed.asp
If all that plastic and all those old used tires sprinkled over acres of land lead to a better environment -- and improve occupant health and well-being - then the world is definitely up-side down. This is yet one more example of industry - with its clever marketing strategies - taking over well meaning and hard fought for environmental progress and turning it inside out for its own uses.
Can you imagine all that plastic and all those old used rubber tires now being considered "Green"? Below is the paragraph from the Field Turf press release found on the Athletic Turf website. Click the blue type if you want their whole article.
"FieldTurf helps organizations earn the necessary points needed for U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification. FieldTurf's reused rubber content and water use reduction, among other factors, can contribute numerous points towards LEED certification. FieldTurf is also a proud member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Greenscapes program that aims towards providing cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping."
http://www.athleticturf.net/athleticturf/Artificial+Turf/FieldTurf-trumpets-its-environmental-benefits/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/568972?contextCategoryId=3209
Nancy Alderman, President
Environment and Human Health, Inc.
1191 Ridge Road
North Haven, CT 06473
(phone) 203-248-6582
(fax) 203-288-7571
http://www.ehhi.org
1 comment:
FIELDTURF – THE CLEAN GREEN SOLUTION
To set the record straight and re-iterate what hundreds of studies around the world and thousands of clients across the globe have echoed for some time now: FieldTurf surfaces make a positive contribution to the environment!
All of FieldTurf’s surfaces are developed, produced and installed with a concentration on sustainability and a commitment to protecting the environment. We call it Environmental Intelligence and we live by this principle in every way.
In addition to its environmentally sound silica sand and cryogenic rubber infill, and its polyethylene fiber components, the FieldTurf product alone has eliminated over 23 billion gallons of water, over 130 million pounds of pesticides, and over 15 million pounds of carbon gas that would have otherwise been used on grass fields in order to maintain them.
Not to mention the documented reduction of injuries, significant increase in playing time, aesthetic value, outstanding cost benefits, and durability that comes with a FieldTurf surface.
Thousands of schools, cities, and sports teams already have and are planning to convert their grass fields to FieldTurf for the reasons stated above. There are many noteworthy examples out there, including Cornell University that are focusing on campus upgrades based around sustainability and responsible decision making with regards to the environment. The article below touches on how Cornell, as an example, opted for FieldTurf because it promotes environmental and financial sustainability
http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2008/12/03/cornell-athletics-works-limit-carbon-footprint
But don’t take EHHI’s or FieldTurf’s word on this matter. There are hundreds of third party studies that review this subject in the greatest detail. Read the studies. Look at the science produced by experts around the world. Only then can one voice a valid opinion - one based on real facts and real science.
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