Episode 10: Sport Ecology with Dr. Madeline Orr

Episode 10: Sport Ecology with Dr. Madeline Orr

Author: Sport and Leisure Cultures Research Group June 11, 2021 Duration: 55:48

In January 2021 Dr. Madeline Orr delivered an online talk for the Sport and Leisure Culture’s research group’s 2021 Seminar Series. In her lecture she explores the bidirectional relationship between sport, the environment, and climate change, and why sport can be a vehicle for change to the growing and continuing climate crisis. As Director and co-founder of the Sport Ecology Group, Maddy is a leading voice for change in the sport sector, how everyone from grassroots to transnational sporting organizations can do their part to help ameliorate and prevent further climate degradation.

This episode shifts between the lecture she gave for the SLC 2021 Seminar Series and a conversation I had with her where we further explored some of the pressing issues of sport ecology and climate change.

Dr. Maddy Orr’s recent publications include “Sport Facilities as Sites of Environmental and Social Resistance” and “Climate Vulnerability as a Catalyst for Early Stadium Replacement”. Her larger research interests include the impacts of climate change on the sport sector, with a focus on vulnerability and resilience research. Find out more about her research and the Sport Ecology Group at https://www.sportecology.org/.

Additional resources:

Rapid Transition Alliance

https://www.rapidtransition.org/

UN Climate Change Conference

https://ukcop26.org/

Beyond Sport

https://www.beyondsport.org/


Hosted by the Sport and Leisure Cultures Research Group at the University of Brighton, Transforming Sport digs into the complex and often surprising ways athletics intersect with our everyday lives. Each conversation moves beyond scores and statistics to explore sport as a powerful social force, examining its relationship with politics, health, economics, and identity. The discussions, led by researchers and expert guests, are grounded in academic insight but focused on real-world implications. You’ll hear thoughtful analysis on how communities are built through leisure, how inequalities are both challenged and perpetuated on the field, and what the future holds for physical culture. This isn’t about predicting winners; it’s about understanding the deeper currents that shape why we play and watch. The central question throughout this podcast is how sport itself must adapt and evolve to meet the pressing challenges of our time-from climate change and technological disruption to ongoing fights for inclusion and fairness. By listening, you gain a clearer picture of the transformations already underway and the ones still desperately needed. Tune in for a nuanced perspective that treats sport not just as entertainment, but as a vital lens for examining contemporary society.
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