Can curling save the planet?
By: Josh Chetwynd
Tags: Global Warming, Curling, Sports, Climate Change, Environment

Can curling save the planet?

How an obscure sport offers us some direction for climate change communications

Curling isn’t just about throwing rocks down a sheet of ice, it also has a philosophy that’s worth considering (source: Josh Chetwynd)

Historically, sports have been a great arena for cultural change. Jackie Robinson famously shifted the American social landscape by integrating Major League Baseball, and Billie Jean King changed minds on gender equality when she beat Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” on the tennis court.

So it’s no surprise that protesters recently chose the iconic Harvard-Yale football game as an opportunity to bring attention to the climate crisis through an on-field sit-in. While that event shows that sports can be a venue (albeit controversial) for environmental action, can the games we play do even more? The answer is yes and, as strange as it may seem, it’s one fairly obscure sport that may offer a roadmap for how and where to communicate on tough topics such as climate change.

That sport is curling.

For the uninitiated, curling is an Olympic discipline, featuring players throwing heavy granite rocks down a sheet of ice while teammates often frantically sweep specially-made brooms to help control the stones’ trajectory. The 500-year-old sport requires keen strategy, developed athletic ability, and great stamina and strength.

In the name of full disclosure, I’m an avid curler and a big fan of the game. The reason for this is, in part, for the sport itself, but it’s also because curling has a unique culture that is deeply relevant—and necessary—for our times.

That culture is exemplified by a code called “the spirit of curling.” This credo recognizes that “curlers play to win, but never humble their opponents.” In addition, “curlers never knowingly break a rule of the game, nor disrespect any of its tradition … The Spirit of Curling demands good sportsmanship, kindly feeling and honourable conduct.”

The sport takes this approach so seriously that it doesn’t even require referees. Instead, players are asked to self-police any penalty-inducing mistakes.

Clearly, what’s at stake when throwing rocks down a patch of ice isn’t comparable to the future of the planet. Yet these principles are surprisingly applicable to environmental action. After all, there is something to be learned from a belief that highlights respect and honor.

Last month, Leah Stokes, a professor at the University of California — Santa Barbara and a well-known climate and energy policy researcher and writer, contemplated the long road we face when dealing with global warming.

“It’s going to take decades to solve the climate crisis,” she wrote on Twitter in November. “We are going to have to make many tough choices that have tradeoffs. We need to have a community that is open to constructive debate to make sure we make good decisions.”

To truly embrace the “constructive debate” called for by Stokes, everyone at the table needs to welcome the type of qualities embodied in “the curling spirit.”

Of course, getting people to the table is an equally difficult task.

This is an issue that the Yale Climate Connections program has grappled with over the past few years. One piece of advice they give is to “forget the tirades” and “quell the yelling.” To reach that goal, a warm, inviting setting is necessary.

Curling has you covered on that front as well.

Along with “the spirit of curling,” the sport has another tradition called “broomstacking.” After spending some time on the cold ice — an environment that should humble even the stoutest of souls — players stack their brooms and retreat to a warmer place where the winners buy the losers a drink (often of the alcoholic variety) and unwind.

If done right, this type of friendly atmosphere is the kind of place where people can talk about meaningful topics in an unguarded manner. Admittedly, this might not always be the right time. Again, Yale has words of wisdom on this front. They caution to make sure that people are open-minded to varying perspectives on climate. You should also “listen and be patient” to opposing views; “know how to use the science” to counter misinformation; and “be hopeful: avoid doom and gloom.” But as long as you show good judgment, social surroundings similar to curling’s broomstacking can be a good place for the healthy debate we need.

For those dubious about how the traditions of a lesser-known sport can move the needle on the climate crisis, I must point out I’m not the first to offer curling as a potential salve for planet Earth.

At the 2018 Olympics, an Associated Press reporter happened upon the sport and offered this assessment:

The world, some fret, is falling apart. Politicians spar viciously on social media. Leaders lie. Former heroes fall like dominoes amid endless scandals. Cruelty has come to feel commonplace.

But never fear: We have curling.

The article goes on to say, “Kindness is the baseline for what curling is all about.” Like any good curler, environmentalists want to win when it comes to avoiding the most devastating effects of climate change. But kindness — in the sense of recognizing and respecting the humanity and common bonds of everybody, including adversaries — might not only be the high road, but it might also be the most direct path to get there.