M O T O R S P O R T
A RACING MIND BY EMILY ATKINS
A S A PERSON WHO INDULGES in the sport of racing a car powered by an internal com- bustion engine, I will admit to pangs of guilt when the subject of climate change arises. I know that my sport serves no useful purpose other than personal entertainment, and is extremely wasteful of precious resources, while polluting at the same time. It makes me consider buying carbon offsets. As part of its mandate, the Extreme E electri- fied off-road racing series is working to remediate damage done by human beings to the environments where they race. For example, in Saudi Arabia, where the kickoff race in the fourth edition of the series was held, Extreme E is working to revitalize coral reefs in the Red Sea, off the Kingdom’s coastline. The col- laborative project brings together a leader from the Extreme E Scientific Committee, and Saudi research teams. They will create what’s billed as the world’s largest coral nursery and gardening project in the world with the aim of demonstrating how reefs can be preserved. Extreme E is unique in that it came about with the objective of showcasing the effects of climate change and human activity through the medium of car racing. “As well as being a serious motor racing series, Extreme E has a strong sporting purpose to promote the adoption of electric mobility in the fight to lower global emission levels,” says series founder Alejandro Agag.
And while the organization is careful to curtail, measure and offset its carbon footprint, and pub- lishes a report every year detailing how they did it, I hope they will find a way to measure the impact the series might have on public opinion and advancing electrification. I’m convinced that they are sincere in their goals. I’m convinced that they are building a sizeable audience. However, I remain dubious about how much this racing series will be able to change how people think. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, believing that car racing – of any kind – is simply an act of indulgence reserved for the privileged. From that viewpoint, no amount of carbon-offsetting is going to convince me that this race series is necessary. But I’m trying to see it differently. As a platform from which to undertake the kind of research and remediation projects Extreme E is undertaking all over the world, the series is making an interesting gambit. Will people who like old-school racing take the conservation message on board, or will they just consume the racing without noticing the greater benefit? Or will the series attract a whole new class of race fans, people who might otherwise disapprove of racing because of its inherent ‘wastefulness’? Either way, a fan base will be needed to keep the enterprise afloat because sponsors need eyeballs to keep funding the events. To that end, please take a look at the final race of 2024, which will be held in North America at the end of November. Does it speak to you about climate change? Do you get a message about the importance of transport electrification? Please let me know what you think. eatkins@emotionmag.ca
« Extreme E is a radical off-road racing series in the most remote corners of the planet impacted by climate change.
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