The green Phillies (1) hats were a giveaway (2) at Citizens Bank Park Wednesday, though only the Phils players and coaches were given the promotional caps.

    The different-colored lids were worn in place of the Phils traditional red hats by the team during last night’s 4-2 loss (3) to San Diego as a literal symbol of the team’s new “Red Goes Green” environmental campaign launched by team officials, representatives of Major League Baseball and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter (4) and Gov. Ed Rendell (5) during an on-field press conference Wednesday afternoon.  

   “We're going to purchase 20 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy in the form of renewable energy certificates which will offset 100 percent of our 2008 electricity usage here at Citizens Bank Park,” Phillies president David Montgomery said (6).

    The purchase, which was made from renewable energy certificate provider WindStreet Energy, is “the largest single purchase of 100 percent renewable energy in professional sports and equivalent to the planting of 100,000 trees (7),” according to an Environmental Protection Agency release. It makes the Phillies the first Major League Baseball team to join the EPA's Green Power Partnership program, a pact which allows organizations to voluntarily reduce the environmental impact their usage causes.

   “This is a local initiative with global benefits (8),” Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist for the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) said of the program.

   Additionally the team has made provisions with both Aramark, its concession firm, and Global Spectrum, its facility management firm, to add recycling containers, use more recyclable-based goods, convert to more energy-efficient LED bulbs, convert spent frying oil into biodiesel fuel (9) and replace condiment packages with dispensers.

 

 

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1 – Pictured here.

 

2- Jamie Moyer bobble figurines were given away to all who entered. the game. Nice doll, but it did not, however, make me “relive the NL East clinching game of September 30. :(

 

3- The Phils often lose when wearing alternate hats. And people ALWAYS BLAME THE HATS.

 

4- Mr. Mayor was able to work all four major sports teams into his few minutes at the podium….However, the undefeated Philly Soul got snubbed (and the Freedoms, whose tickets went on sale today, were totally effing pissed.)

 

5- Despite a nice, healthy tan and a fetching suit, The Guv could go a little more green himself. Like Arugula, Greenleaf, Romaine, etc.

 

6- We assume Howard Eskin immediately went on WIP-AM (610) and criticized the Phils for not spending to get even better power.

 

7- This seems to be along the same thinking of the odd conversion chart that notes: “Every time you masturbate, God kills a kitten.” Where’s the research money to figure out how we can develop energy from masturbation?...Sayin’.

 

8- Agreed. Same with banning the process of putting ketchup on a hot dog. It’s not a victimless crime and we can't keep turing a blind eye to it.

 

9- The team declined to replace the Phanatic’s synthetic fur with ivy grown through the suit…BUT if the Phils marketing department wants to take our suggestion and give away a Chia-Phanatic as a green promotion, Philly EDGE is happy to offer the idea.