NYT: Baseball Team Clashes With Environmentalists Over Oil Company Advertising

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/us/27stadium.html?ref=business



Doug Mills/The New York Times

The Washington Nationals stadium, near the Capitol, has energy-efficient lights and plumbing. It is certified by the federal Green Building Council.

By BERNIE BECKER
Published: July 27, 2008

WASHINGTON — When the Washington Nationals’ season opened in March, the team unveiled a stadium any environmentalist could love — the country’s first certified green major professional sports stadium, with energy-conserving lights and water-conserving plumbing.

Now, the team is the focus of protests from environmentalists who say their issue is not with the stadium, but with the Nationals’ advertising relationship with the oil giant ExxonMobil.

The company’s logo appears prominently on the left-field wall and is frequently featured on the stadium’s scoreboard.

Despite the stadium’s recognition for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design by the U.S. Green Building Council, ExxonMobil’s involvement has erased any good will, say the leaders of Strike Out Exxon, a combination of environmental, civic and religious groups.

The groups want the Nationals to end their advertising arrangement with the company.

ExxonMobil’s involvement in the park “burnishes the image of the worst environmental company on the planet,” said a leader of Strike Out Exxon, Mike Tidwell, who is also director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

FULL story at link.

[tularetom]

1. Well maybe but I'd be a lot more concerned with all the night games

they play. If they took those "energy efficient lights" out and played all their games in the afternoon I'd take their claims of being "green" a bit more seriously.