FAIRFIELD, IOWA, Aug. 27 -/E-Wire/-- The 2009
Dakar Rally, the largest off-road rally race in the world,
attracts thousands of competitors worldwide with the sole
mission of winning the prestigious and grueling 15-day race.
There is one team, however, with an additional goal in mind-
They want to talk about sustainability.
The Kenya Kwanza(which means "first" in Kiswahili.)
team of Glen Edmunds, a two-time Safari Rally champion driver,
and Ex-Navy Seal and navigator Troy Van Beek, seeks to not
only win the cup, but also to raise awareness about climate
change and sustainability. "…we need to remain socially
responsible in all aspects of what we do," says Mr. Van
Beek, "even in the racing industry."
The Racing Industry has been slow to embrace sustainability,
but the planet-friendly trend is rapidly gaining more
popularity. New technologies, alternative fuels, and carbon
neutrality are just some practices seeping their way into the
world of racing. In the last few years we’ve seen Formula
One, the Indy Racing League, and other racing series making
the effort to lower their environmental impact, according to
The Phoenix, a Boston-based newsweekly. Team Kenya Kwanza
hopes to take the trend on to the next level. "This year
we are running our race on sustainable renewable biodiesel,"
Says Mr. Van Beek, "and we are also looking to move this
race as close as we can to carbon net zero."
Some have said the negative environmental impacts from car
racing are negligible. According to the Phoenix, out of the 6
billion tons of carbon emitted each year, only 2 million comes
from car racing. However, the racing industry’s large fan
base and the Dakar Rally’s worldwide prestige may prove to
be a fruitful platform to talk about sustainability with an
audience who is not commonly exposed to it.
In their first successful partnership Team Kwanza is
partnering with ENN, The Environmental News Network, which has
committed to help cover the team’s progress towards their
goals and provide free environmental press services for the
team and their sponsors.
The 2009 Dakar Rally will take place January 3rd to the 18th
in Argentina and Chile.
To find out more the Kenya Kwanza team, please visit
www.glenedmunds.com/kenya-kwanza.html
To find out more about the 2009 Dakar please visit
www.dakar.com/
To find out more about The Environmental News Network please
visit
www.enn.com
Contact Info: Troy Van Beek
Tidal Wave Group
troyvanbeek@gmail.com
(641) 919 2269
Lawrence Norton
Environmental News Network
www.enn.com
641 472 2790
Glen Edmunds Performance Driving School
Phone/Fax: +254 (20) 609737/8
kim@performance.co.ke
Website : www.glenedmunds.com
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