Thank you for a well-written and informative article about greener racing (see "NASCAR Goes Green," by Deirdre Fulton, June 1). My love of racing and love of the environment have been at odds with each other as my environmental awareness has increased.
Last year, after a 13-year hiatus, I got back into road racing motorcycles at New Hampshire International Speedway, but not without some serious guilt about the greenhouse gas impact of my racing. Reading the Sunrise Guide (a terrific Portland-based guide to sustainable living) I was thrilled to learn I could purchase carbon offsets locally by buying Wind Watts from Maine Interfaith Power and Light, and know my money was truly going toward offsetting my racing (via a wind farm in Mars Hill).
Many positive things have come from racing — the engine management computer systems that help cars run cleaner, many safety features like traction control and anti-lock brakes, and certainly lots of performance enhancements as well. However, we as racers have to recognize and offset the negative impact as well.
For pure green-racing promotional propaganda I’ve attached a photo of my racing leathers with the “Carbon Neutral Racing” logo I’m using to promote the concept of carbon offsetting. While I don’t currently have sponsors to help with my efforts, I will continue to race when I can, offset when I do, and encourage others to do the same.
Thanks again for a great article exposing others to the concept.
Also, see these links, which demonstrate that environmentally sound racing doesn’t have to be boring, but could be powered by wind or sun:
Electric Drag Racing motorcycle (0 to 60 in 1.5 seconds)
Tesla sports car (0 to 60 in 4 seconds — and faster than a Porsche 911)
Eliica (odd but impressive)
David Washburn
Portland
