The Trail Blazers "plan to become more visible on the national landscape in support of sustainability issues," according to Andy Giegerich of the PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL. One "big step toward that end came last week" when Trail Blazers Senior Dir of Sustainability & Public Affairs Justin Zeulner "praised President Obama’s call for climate change reform." Zeulner noted that Obama’s "commitment to renewable energy meshes with the Blazers’ support of alternative transportation." The club is the "only sports team in the Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy group, which includes Nike." The team also "co-founded the Portland-based Green Sports Alliance, which is pushing pro teams to adopt more sustainable tenets." The Trail Blazers since '08 have "poured more than $500,000" into sustainability initiatives, which has delivered more than $3M in efficiencies and savings. Much of the money "went toward earning" the Rose Garden a LEED Gold certification. The team hopes that "more investments into the 18-year-old arena could result in a LEED 'platinum' rating, a lofty goal in that the designation is generally only conferred on new buildings." The club also will "advise developers of the new Seattle arena project on creating a sustainable facility" and has "begun advising various cities and other governmental bodies on environmental action." Team officials have "appeared at the White House three times to discuss sustainability initiatives" (PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/5 issue).
