Sustaining Sport Ben Mole

Madeleine Orr is an Assistant Professor of Sport Ecology at the University of Toronto. She is also a co-founder of the Sport Ecology group, and in early May she will be releasing a brand-new book called “Warming Up, How Climate Change is Changing Sport” which, as you may guess, focuses on how sport is adapting to and wrestling with climate change.

From seasonal sports' responses to climate shifts to using community sports facilities during natural disasters, this episode promises an eye-opening exploration of the environmental challenges and the hope that can spring from adversity. Maddy also shares with us how she navigates the double intersection of Sport with Sustainability and Academia with Industry. And we question the very definition of 'sustainability' in sports. Has this once-critical concept been diluted, and should we redefine the term to better align with the planet's needs while preserving the magic of sports in the future?

I hope you find it interesting!
You can (pre)order a copy of the book here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/warming-up-9781399404525/ 
 And maybe meet Maddy during her book tour. Dates, times and locations are here: https://twitter.com/maddyjorr/status/1777823539405500589 


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or contact us at: benmole@sustainingsport.com

Today we are speaking with Chen Chen. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut and writes prolifically about how sport intersects with many troubling trends across the globe including environmental decline and increasing inequality of wealth and power.
This episode begins with Chen’s unique story that led him to these topics. Then we use his recent work on how the Dakar rally’s time in South America was a prime example of environmental injustice and even ecological imperialism, as local communities and areas dense with biodiversity were given no say in how and where this event took place. We explore how this event embodies larger issues of resource exploitation, environmental degradation, and cultural erasure.

We also discuss some alternative ways of engaging in community sports such as The World Indigenous Games and Field of Dreamers – Cooperative Softball Association.


Support the show
Please feel free to reach out to the show on
Web: sustainingsport.com
Instagram: @sustainingsport
Linkedin: /sustaining-sport
Facebook: @sustainingsport
Twitter: @SustainSportPod
Donate to our patreon.com/sustainingsport
or contact us at: benmole@sustainingsport.com

Ugandan sports currently grapples with a complex network of interconnected challenges, including severe financial constraints, persistent mismanagement issues, a significant talent drain, and the undeniable impacts of climate change. The question is:  how can their sports improve and develop talent without further contributing to the climate crisis?

Diving into this question with us is Sharon Muzaki, a budding environmental journalist and sports fan, in Kampala. Of course, such a discussion begs the subsequent question: is it even fair to expect a nation, that has contributed so little to the climate crisis, to include such considerations into the sporting growth model?

There is no simple solution, but, speaking from both lived experiences and observations, Sharon gives us her preservative which informs a much better understanding of the problem - a problem is crying out for further consideration from the relevant stakeholders. 
Support the show
Please feel free to reach out to the show on
Web: sustainingsport.com
Instagram: @sustainingsport
Linkedin: /sustaining-sport
Facebook: @sustainingsport
Twitter: @SustainSportPod
Donate to our patreon.com/sustainingsport
or contact us at: benmole@sustainingsport.com

Advertising is supposed to be a way for businesses and entrepreneurs to show you how good their products are. But what if many of the products in adverts are actually bad? They could be bad for you or potentially bad for this planet and its delicately balanced biosphere.

Today’s topic is bad advertising. We are talking to researcher Freddie Daley who works as a coordinator for a tremendous organisation called Badvertising. As sport holds a powerful place in the hearts and minds of fans and athletes around the world, it is a potent tool for advertisers. According to Statista, in 2022 the global sports sponsorship market was worth an estimated 66 billion U.S. dollars and is expected to grow to 107 billion U.S. dollars by 2030. It is one of sport’s biggest revenue streams, dwarfing that of merchandise and tickets.

Freddie and his colleagues know this and therefore must dedicate a lot of time calling out and campaigning against adverts that contain false information or normalise businesses whose operations are harmful to people and the environment.

Freddie joins us today to discuss this sport, sustainability, and advertising intersection. It’s a complex and arduous topic at times but his pragmatism and belief in the possibility of a better system makes it very much worth a listen!

You can also find more research and work on this at the Rapid Transition Alliance.
Support the show
Please feel free to reach out to the show on
Web: sustainingsport.com
Instagram: @sustainingsport
Linkedin: /sustaining-sport
Facebook: @sustainingsport
Twitter: @SustainSportPod
Donate to our patreon.com/sustainingsport
or contact us at: benmole@sustainingsport.com

The convergence of sport, decoloniality, and the environment presents a labyrinth of intricate ideas, and as we delve into their interconnectedness, the complexity deepens.

Joining us on this informative journey is Samuel Clevenger, an Assistant Professor at Towson University in the USA, who has been trying to unpack some of this intersection. We start with the radical concept of decoloniality—an evolution beyond mere decolonisation. Through philosophical references and anecdotes, we raise instances where sport has been wielded to perpetuate a Western-centric worldview, shaping notions of identity, imagery, and competition. Then, in contrast, we examine examples where Western sports were recast more in the image of the indigenous people who were pressured to play them.

As we pivot to the environmental repercussions, a canvas of broader societal critiques unfurls. The discourse expands to encompass profound themes like climate justice, athlete and fan burnout, and the nuances of degrowth or post-growth.

Whether you're a sports enthusiast, an environmental advocate, or simply curious about the multifaceted connections between these realms, there are undoubtedly ideas in this episode of interest to you.
Support the show
Please feel free to reach out to the show on
Web: sustainingsport.com
Instagram: @sustainingsport
Linkedin: /sustaining-sport
Facebook: @sustainingsport
Twitter: @SustainSportPod
Donate to our patreon.com/sustainingsport
or contact us at: benmole@sustainingsport.com

The relationship between money and sport is complex…

This show has often discussed the issues that arise when the biggest carbon emitters buy or sponsor a sports club, often with the objective of improving their legitimacy or reputation. But this episode goes one step deeper, by looking at the more nuanced capital in-flows that have a few a degrees of separation.

For example, the organisations that invest in or fund others to extract fossil fuels, rather than doing it themselves. Additionally, there are businesses that continuously try to tempt the consumer into making key purchases that will cause significant harm either to the consumer or somewhere else along the supply chain. And because of that separation, it’s tricky for sports fans to know that the companies whose names adorn the fronts of their teams' jerseys are profiting from something they might not agree with.

But help is on the way. Michael Hardy has long sought to get his local team, Liverpool FC, to drop Standard Chartered as a sponsor. Standard chartered fund in a range of projects across the world that do not uphold the human rights of their workers and are responsible for a massive about of emissions. To try to make a difference, Michael and Platform, the organisation he works for, are launching the Game Changer Sponsorship Pledge: an exciting new initiative that tries to bring everyone who cares about sport but does not want to benefit from harm-causing activities. They want to put pressure on sports commercial directors to make better choices that better reflect the values of the fans, even if that means less lucrative deals.

You can learn more about the Game Changer Sponsorship Pledge at: badverts.org/gamechanger
Support the show
Please feel free to reach out to the show on
Web: sustainingsport.com
Instagram: @sustainingsport
Linkedin: /sustaining-sport
Facebook: @sustainingsport
Twitter: @SustainSportPod
Donate to our patreon.com/sustainingsport
or contact us at: benmole@sustainingsport.com