As equestrians and horse owners, polo players have always prided themselves as being more ecological and environmentally conscious than our neighbors. Indeed, we fuss about how green our polo fields are, and how we enjoy riding our horses in the natural settings of our clubs and farms. However, as we are enjoying our summer polo season, there are some major issues facing our environment that merit our undivided attention and active contributions.

Our environment is facing one of the most severe crises in human history. The issue is global warming, which in turn causes climate change. Global warming is created by heat-trapping gases emitted into the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels or forests. Power plants and vehicles are two of the worst culprits in generating these noxious emissions. Carbon dioxide and a handful of other pollutants form an invisible blanket around the Earth, preventing heat from escaping.

The result: Temperatures rise, causing hydrologic changes such as drought, floods and irreversible damage to fragile ecosystems. Vivid in our minds are heat waves in Europe, and wildly destructive storms in the United States that have resulted in many lives lost and billions of dollars in damages. Climatic changes affect our health as well. Just a few inches of additional rainfall per month would cause a significant increase in mosquitoes that would spread West Nile virus throughout the Southern regions of the United States or cause a malaria epidemic across the African continent. A few additional inches rise in the rivers and swamps of India would triple the number of cholera cases, according to the latest World Health Organization studies. Climate change is a real problem that is affecting our health and our environment today and not just a theoretical fear created by environmentalists. Washingtonians and New Yorkers have experienced global warming first-hand when temperatures rose to the upper 60s and low 70s, respectively, in January 2007.

International debate about global warming has entered a new phase. In February 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its report reflecting the input of more than 2,500 of the world’s climate scientists. It states that global warming is a real phenomenon and is highly likely to be caused in large part by mankind’s activities. This report is the most authoritative work yet on the subject. Americans are largely to blame: We make up 5 percent of the world’s population; yet we consume about 25 percent of the world’s energy and oil, making us the leading contributor of globalwarming emissions, according to the National Resources Defense Council.

The core problem is the extraction, conversion and use of fossil fuels. It is the single, largest component of trade debt of every nation; it is the key cause of global warming and the main factor holding back poor countries from development. There are more than a billion people in the world today who have no electricity at all or have access to fewer than 10 hours a day. One thing that is clear and indisputable: Education, health care and economic growth are not possible without energy.

Therefore, the only solution that can satisfy our insatiable thirst for energy, provide opportunity for emerging countries to develop, without causing further global warming is to replace fossil fuels with alternative, renewable sources of energy. The European Union has already taken serious steps in this direction: More than 40 million Europeans are getting their residential electricity from wind farms or geothermal systems. In the United States we are far behind, but we can take smaller yet worthwhile steps to reduce our carbon imprints and fossil-fuel consumption with more energy-efficient appliances and hybrid cars. Using vehicles that run on bio-fuels such as ethanol and bio-diesel can significantly reduce our dependence on oil that is principally coming from the conflictridden Middle East. More must be done by our policy makers to force companies to recycle products they manufacture, reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions and reduce our country’s addiction to fossil fuels.

The polo community, its players, patrons and affiliated sponsored companies consists of movers and shakers in industries worldwide. The first step to being green is to understand the problems. The second is to reduce our own polluting habits by using biodegradable pesticides and fertilizers and avoid driving massive SUVs that consume gasoline at the rate of 8 miles per gallon. The third and most important step is for the polo community to use its leverage, influence and platform to change the system and raise the public’s environmental consciousness. I propose the creation of a USPA-sponsored Green Cup to be played as part of every polo club’s events nationwide to raise money to combat climate change. The second-annual Green Cup was recently played at Capitol Polo Club outside Washington, D.C., this summer to benefit the charitable, non-profit Global Green USA and Green Cross International foundation (see sidebar).

Dr. Robert T. Do, a biophysicist and a physician, is the president of the Capitol Polo Club and is a 1-goal polo player. He is also the chairman and chief executive of the Solena Group, a D.C.-based international company that produces renewable energy. He can be reached at rtdo @ solenagroup.com. Do’s next article, “The greening of the polo, Part 2,” will review and discuss specific issues regarding water conservation and recycling, pesticides vs. natural pest control, and the pros and cons of bio-fuel trucks vs. hybrid cars as they relate to the polo community.

Earth-friendly Green Cup benefits environmental organizations

When it comes to green, the Capitol Polo Club of Maryland certainly did it right. On July
19 the club played its second-annual Green Cup of Polo to raise awareness of environmental issues and global warming as well as to raise money to support prominent, non-profit environmental organizations. Founded and chaired by Dr. Robert T. Do, (president of Capitol Polo Club and chief executive of the Solena Group, a global, renewable-energy company based in
Washington D.C.) the Green Cup of Polo is the first sporting and social event in Washington,
D.C., to be certified green. With the assistance of Sara Trab Nielsen, the “green event”
coordinator, every detail was considered to incorporate the right environmental principles to minimize the event’s ecological and carbon footprint.

Hundreds of people, including polo enthusiasts, fashionistas, environmentalists and diplomats, flocked to the polo fields in Potomac and were treated to two exciting exhibition polo matches: the 2- to 4-goal Amateur Challenge saw Capitol Polo Club players, including the team of T. Hoy Booker (A), Karim El Hibri (2), Dr. Jim Lewis (1), and Theresa Butler (A) battling the team of Dr.
Derek Wilson (1), Sunny Khan (1), Adam Leighton (1) and Neil Agate (A). After a brief entertainment by the Great Falls Horse Vaulters, fans were treated to a 12-goal Pro Challenge Match between the Solena team with Do (1), Charlie Muldoon (5), Marcos Bignoli (4), and Dave Pollin (1) taking on Los Tigres of Virginia with Debbie Nash (1), Jonas Laguirda (5), Juan Carlos Gonzalez (3), and Alan “Tiger” Nash (1). The home team edged out the visitors in a close and fast-paced match, 6 to 3.

Corporate sponsors and VIPs enjoyed delicious organic food from local green restaurants and food vendors, while friends and families in the popular Member’s Club lounge were treated to “eco-tinis” made from Honest Tea and 360 Sustainable Vodka, as well as organic wines and beers from Frey Vineyards and Peak Brewery. Everything was organic, down to the recycled paper program and volunteer T-shirts. Even though carbon credits were purchased through Climate Clean to offset all potential greenhouse-gas emissions from the event, guests had the option of riding in one of EnviroCab’s hybrid taxis to the event. At night Skye Lounge in Washington entertained players and fans at the official after party titled “Where the Skye Meets the Green.”

Green Cup 2008 not only highlights the danger of climate change, global warming and other significant environmental issues, it also raised more than $75,000 in donations and products to support four prominent environmental non-profit organizations: the American Council On Renewable Energy, Equestrian Partners in Conservation, Live Green and EarthEcho International. Event partners included the British American Business Association, the embassy of Denmark and the embassy of Argentina.

Guests included Alexandra Cousteau, Michael Eckhart, Mara Hasseltine, Carolina and Jonas Furukrona, Danish deputy chief of mission Soren Jensen, Pamela Lynne Sorensen, Argentine counselor Carlos Mascias, Joe Muldoon III, Satohiro Akimoto, Savino Recine, Tareq and Michaela Salehi, and event co-chairman Mike Rubin. To find out more about it go to greencuppolo.com or capitolpolo.com.

Polo energy company proposes manure-to-energy facility

With the number of horses living in and around Wellington, Florida, during the winter season, including polo and show horses, the town was facing a rather large, smelly problem—manure. Manure is generally mixed with bedding made of wood shavings, which takes exponentially longer to break down, so composting isn’t an option. When left to pile up, phosphorous can leach into the groundwater. Many property owners have multiple horses on a relatively small piece of property, so removal is the only option. While it is on the property, the manure must be kept in approved bins and removed regularly. The problem remains, where is the manure ending up?

In the past, practically anyone with a dump truck could remove the manure. Many unscrupulous haulers were dumping it on vacant land in an adjacent town. One property owner in neighboring Loxahatchee Groves was charged with misdemeanor citations for stockpiling enough manure on his 5-acre property to fill 1,000 dump trucks. Florida Department of Environmental Protection investigated after receiving numerous complaints from neighbors. Investigators suspect he was accepting loads of manure from Wellington and illegally composting it without permits. The manure was reportedly three stories high in some spots. At the time, DEP Director Henry Barnet said, “Environmental crimes, like illegal composting and manure storage, can potentially harm our natural resources and impact our quality of life and will not be tolerated.”

Manure haulers are now required by the village of Wellington to have a permit. On their permit application, they must disclose the name and location of an approved facility where the manure will be hauled to and an authorization letter from the property owner of the disposal sight. And neighboring towns are making sure they aren’t a dumping ground for Wellington’s manure.

Understandably, when manure can’t be stored and there is a lack of places to dispose of it, a solution must be found. The village asked for proposals on how to solve the problem. There weren’t a lot of takers. However, one new company, Wellington Energy, stepped up to the plate with a proposal. It’s president and chief executive is Scott Swerdlin, a veterinarian with Palm Beach Equine Clinic and a partner in the Palm Beach Equestrian Sports Complex, which Swerdlin admits is the second-largest producer of manure in the village. Former polo player Michael Fawcett is the company’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer.

The company’s proposal is to build a facility to burn manure and turn it into electricity, which can then be sold to the local electric company. The group estimates the cost to build the facility will be $15 million. Swerdlin determined waste-to-energy was the only sensible solution. Other options are composting and anaerobic digestion. According to Swerdlin, composting takes too long because of the wood shavings mixed with the manure, and anaerobic digestion is labor intensive, takes up a lot of space and is not cost effective. Palm Meadows racing facility in Delray Beach, Florida, used the process with less-than-satisfactory results. After the process is complete a third of what you started with is still left, including wood waste, nitrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide and ammonia. According to Swerdlin and Fawcett, a waste-to-energy facility, on the other hand, would require little more than 5 acres, could burn all of the manure and shavings produced in Wellington and would leave just a 2-percent byproduct, which could be used as fertilizer or road stabilizer. The plant would include two turbine-engine oil or gas boilers, which would generate 3 megawatts of electricity. The manure would be incinerated over a thick bed of sand. It takes the boilers about an hour to get hot enough, but once the manure starts burning it keeps the boilers running.

The plant would be totally enclosed so there would be no odor or noise. The plant would run in three shifts during the peak season and one shift during the quieter summer months. Horse manure to energy ... now that’s something to get excited about! Next month we’ll look at ways you can help the environment in your barn and at the polo field.