Green Rally

The semi-desert and mountainous terrain of Guanajuato presents a number of major challenges. In order to supply water for daily living, wood for fuel and fertile soil for agriculture, ecosystems, especially the more delicate ones with their abundance of life, need to be carefully managed. The water cycle is a good example; if poorly managed, the springs that supply water to communities dry up during the hot season. In order to make this supply last as long as possible, there are various factors to which attention must be given: vegetation cover (trees and shrubs), controlling the use of fertile soil, the management of sewage and waste, and the rational use of resources. By encouraging the development of these factors, we can touch upon the objectives mentioned above in two ways: by helping contain global warming and promoting the quality of life of families and communities. How? Through simple actions:

  • Installing household and school toilets with biodigesters
  • Using wood-saving stoves – for the many families that use wood for cooking, the consumption of this fuel can be reduced by up to 70%
  • Harvesting household water (rainwater storage)
  • Using laundry sinks with absorption wells (wastewater treatment)
  • Solid waste management (refuse, compost)
  • Creating “living fences” around homes and crop fields – magueys, nopals, bushes, trees native to the region
  • Having fruit trees and family allotments
  • Reforestation

In conjunction, these actions can ensure that the Rally México leaves no environmental footprint, and that CO2 emissions are easily offset.

RallyMex's proposal for Rally México 2012 is to join forces with the government of the State of Guanajuato, the boroughs of León, Silao and Guanajuato and Mexico's National Forestry Commission in a community development program—including the Rally de la Salud—which is strongly focused on the environmental concerns in 9 communities: Ibarrilla, Alfaro, San Antonio del Gigante, Sauz Seco, La Laborcita, Las Coloradas, Vaquerías, Derramadero, Nuevo Valle de Moreno, and natural areas of particular environmental value.

To help steer these actions and its policy of social and environmental responsibility, RallyMex has hired the consultancy firm Pantanal Asesoría, which will be responsible for:

  • Measuring the greenhouse gas emissions produced by Rally México 2012, particularly CO2 emissions
  • In collaboration with the State of Guanajuato's Institute of Ecology and Department of Health, drawing up a work program that will provide benefits to the aforementioned communities and serve to neutralise the event and offset CO2 emissions.
  • Evaluating the extent to which these actions offset CO2 emissions.
  • Drafting a report of the results for Rally México 2013.

Every one of us produces a carbon footprint every day in our daily activities, for example, by cooking, washing, driving a car or using public transport. One can get an idea of the scale of Rally México's carbon footprint by looking at the report of the 2008 Rally in Great Britain: of the total of 4,300 tonnes generated, only 5% was produced by the competing vehicles and 5% as a result of those involved in the rally flying to the event.  A total of 79% was the result of spectators and those employed by the rally locally travelling to the event. The 430 tonnes of carbon emitted by the competing vehicles and the planes flying personnel in and out are equivalent to the total emitted by 43 average British families in one year, i.e. 10 tonnes per family. In comparison, the average Mexican family produces 5 tonnes of carbon a year.

http://www.rallymexico.com/social-es/rally-verde/