I don't know whether this has been discussed much, but how can USMS support "going green," promoting and/or being supportive of being environmentally responsible for clean water to swim in as well as to drink?
Open Water swims, of course, are the perfect venues to remind us all to keep our waters clean for swimming. The Boston swim focuses on this; do other Open Water swims promote cleaner water? What do they do?
Can pool Masters swimmers, clubs, LMSCs promote being "greener"? Encouraging people to take shorter showers is one way. What are other ways?
I think it is a fine idea and good opportunity for USMS to promote this particular aspect of the environment. By the way, all the Great Lakes are down several inches, except for Lake Superior (where, at the moment, we don't have Open Water swims...but who knows, in the future???).
Jennifer Parks, Michigan Masters
Temps idea is good. Showers is definetely good.
I think Stud's paper idea has the best potential for impact. Think of all the entry forms, newsletters and magazines we get in the mail. Our LMSC sends out a newsletter 4x a year. It is well put together, but the pictures don't print well in b/w, printing and postage is expensive, and while we give the option for a multiple-swimmer household to opt out of extras, we give no option for someone to receive a PDF via email. I bet we can save thousands of $ and a lot of trees that way.
Illinois has a standardized entry card they use for practically everything. Completely paperless. A meet web site, email announcement and a link to the entry form. Simple. Brilliant. (of course, if you want to go, you do have to print out the entry form after all, but still).
Furthermore, online entries completely discourage printouts and are a benefit to the meet directors. I can't imagine Nationals with 1500 paper entries. I bet they still get plenty though.
JP, I concur with George - great topic!
Temps idea is good. Showers is definetely good.
I think Stud's paper idea has the best potential for impact. Think of all the entry forms, newsletters and magazines we get in the mail. Our LMSC sends out a newsletter 4x a year. It is well put together, but the pictures don't print well in b/w, printing and postage is expensive, and while we give the option for a multiple-swimmer household to opt out of extras, we give no option for someone to receive a PDF via email. I bet we can save thousands of $ and a lot of trees that way.
Illinois has a standardized entry card they use for practically everything. Completely paperless. A meet web site, email announcement and a link to the entry form. Simple. Brilliant. (of course, if you want to go, you do have to print out the entry form after all, but still).
Furthermore, online entries completely discourage printouts and are a benefit to the meet directors. I can't imagine Nationals with 1500 paper entries. I bet they still get plenty though.
JP, I concur with George - great topic!
