OK, going green is no longer just for the tree huggers and left-wingers in today's society. The movement is now firmly planted in the NASCAR garage.

From sponsors upping track-side recycling programs to Pocono Raceway's decision to build a solar farm, the sport is growing increasingly cognizant of its carbon footprint.

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You know, it doesn't matter who you are or how much money you make, everyone should do their part. It might be on different levels, but it's a thought process and the action that you are taking.

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JEFF GORDON

Falling in line are the stars of the show, the Sprint Cup Series drivers, which should be commended because it's easy to endorse a hybrid pace car while the cameras are on and sponsors are feeding you the company line -- but keeping up the front in daily life off the track is no easy task. Recycling is costly and time consuming. Buying locally grown and organic goods is expensive. And driving a hybrid is the antithesis of cool when you're a stock-car driver accustomed to the growl of a gas engine as opposed to the buzz of an electric variety.

But it's cool enough for Jeff Gordon.

"I drive a hybrid," Gordon said. "You know, it doesn't matter who you are or how much money you make, everyone should do their part. It might be on different levels, but it's a thought process and the action that you are taking. The environment is something that is big on people's mind and I'm in support of that."

Jimmie Johnson is also educating himself in the ways of greener living. He's reducing waste and hoping NASCAR can be a testing ground for cleaner technologies.

"I think that racing is a great proving ground for safety, for new technology that can help the country and world to go green. So I'm excited to see new things coming along and hope there are many more to follow and really use motorsports as a testing program for that," Johnson said. "I think that makes us valuable to the manufacturers and really to the government, and the government is running the manufacturers right now, so we need to make sure that we are on top of those trends and can hopefully lead the way and prove that racing is needed in that area."

And while he's open to going green at his work place, Johnson is practicing what he preaches at home as well.

"I was watching something on TV the other day where the guy was talking about paper towel use and how every time you wash your hands you use a paper towel and there were some statistics they showed on that, so now, I'm not using paper towels as much anymore, especially when I wash my hands. I have a towel I lay on the sink," he said. "My wife doesn't like it. She's like, 'Why is this sitting out?' Well, it's to dry my hands and I explain myself. And she's like, 'That's a good idea.'"

Johnson is also recycling plastics in addition to reducing his waste.

"There are so many water bottles and stuff that we use, that plastic bottles are an issue. So I just have one trusty plastic bottle that I carry as long as I can, and just keep filling it up through my refrigerator instead of pulling a new bottle of water out of the fridge," he explained. "So I do stupid little things like that, up to my hybrid Tahoe. Unfortunately there are not a lot of stations to fill it up with E-85. But I'm looking in that area and am trying to do everything I can to make a difference."

Drivers moonlighting

Denny Hamlin uses recycled water to wash his cars at his new car wash in Virginia. It's one example of drivers securing their future outside of racing.

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With their actions known, the movement is no longer a PR campaign or lip service to environmental agencies and local governments who for years have criticized NASCAR for its consumption. And with drivers more than on board, the chances of the same efforts and practices transferring to fans is more likely to happen, especially as they become increasingly mainstream and convenient for consumers.

In fact, some drivers not only are becoming more environmentally sound in their home lives but taking it a step further into their work lives as well.

Denny Hamlin's Virginia car washes are clean and green.

"We use recycled water and it's more efficient to take your car to a car wash than it is to wash it yourself in your driveway," Hamlin said. "We're doing things to try and be greener."

As is Greg Biffle. He recently ordered a hybrid Ford Fusion to use at his personal race shop in Mooresville, N.C.

"I know it's obvious we're racing, but we're continuing to work on getting better fuel mileage and performance out of our cars, and I think we do things personally to try and make an effort at being more environmentally friendly," Biffle said. "I'm in the process right now of doing a study of putting solar panels on my building in Mooresville to convert it to be a greener building, so I think there are lots of things we can do to be better about it. But certainly, racing is an element where I'm sure there are ways to improve -- and I think we do a pretty good job at it now. But I'm sure there are ways we can improve that, and that's why NASCAR has people on that staff."

Mike Lynch is NASCAR's green guru as managing director of green innovation and is in charge of carrying the torch for a cleaner sport.

His most recent charge is a tree-planting program launched this year where 11 tracks planted 10 trees for every green flag -- about 100 per race -- to neutralize the carbon from each race. The goal is to have every track participating by 2010.

Pocono Raceway on Friday announced the development of the very first track-side solar farm.

"This new system will not only satisfy the raceway's energy needs, it will allow us to help power close to 1,000 homes and lower carbon dioxide emissions by 5,100 tons every year," said track president Brandon Igdalsky.

The benefits of having solar power have been tested and proven time and again.

"Being in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, we felt that we needed to help preserve it and this was one way that we could do it, while helping the community around us," Igdalsky said.

The Pocono Raceway solar installation is unique in that it will be the only sports facility in the world to generate clean, renewable energy on site, which will more than offset its annual electricity consumption.

NASCAR contends while some arenas have been certified as "green" buildings, they have received that distinction through reduced water usage, recycling efforts, installation of compact fluorescent lighting or usage or recycled products. Other sports teams have hosted "carbon neutral" games, but these are one-time events, not a reflection of the facility.

"Pocono Raceway's solar energy project is the biggest renewable energy stadium project in the world by more than two times," Lynch said. "It's going to be an awesome achievement, setting a high bar for all facilities throughout sports."

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.