Eorl Crabtree wants to see the planet become healthier and greener for generations to come.
The former Rugby League player, who played over 400 times for Betfred Super League side Huddersfield Giants and made 14 appearances for England, is passionate about sustainability and the environment and wants to make a difference.
Having been made a sustainability ambassador for sustainable energy business EV3 Power back in February, the 38-year-old explained in an exclusive interview with Huddersfield Hub why he’s so passionate about all things green and clean.
Eorl said: “I got involved with a company called EV3 Power. I met them at a network meeting for the Giants. We got talking and decided to meet up again over a coffee and discuss what they were doing, what their thoughts were about sustainability and the future for electric cars.
“I don’t think people realise how quickly the world is moving into electric cars. By 2030 there will be no more petrol cars produced. It’s all going to be electric, so that’s why manufacturers are now spending billions on all this research.
“EV is the next big thing along with hydrogen and like I say it’s coming quicker than people realise.
“Like most people you are aware of how things might be changing but I wasn’t aware how fast we are going towards these changes.
“The next process is to get enough charging points up. People are unaware of how good electric cars are now. A lot of people still think it will only take them a few miles, they are really expensive and then it will take so many hours to charge up.
“However that’s not true, cars can now do up to 200-300 miles on a full charge and the fastest cars now can charge up in just 15 minutes.
“It was really fascinating to learn all this with EV3. It’s not just cars they look at though they are into all kinds of sustainable things.
“They asked me to be their ambassador which I accepted straight away. I believe in a better future like they do and trying to lower our carbon footprint.
“It turns out that the legend that is Martin Offiah is involved in this kind of work. He works with a company called Connect Kerb based in London which is a company that we work closely with. I can only see our two companies’ relationship getting bigger and bigger.”
READ MORE: How Eorl Crabtree turned property developer during lockdown
Eorl, who lives in Slaithwaite, loves being out in the countryside. However he was devastated to see the damage recently caused by the Marsden Moor fires. He has revealed he’ll be helping to make a video to speak about the fires themselves and how people need to be safe whilst on the moor but also how they need to respect it.
He said: “I live in the countryside and I do open water swimming, I do a lot of walking and cycling. So I’ve always been interested in the environment.
“I’m also doing bits locally after the devastating effect of the Marsden fires. People were leaving rubbish up in the hills and having barbecues. That has caused hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage.
“I could see how bad the fires were from my house. They were getting closer and closer to the other houses. When the fire brigade managed to put the fires out they just sprang up somewhere else.
“It was terrible to see the amount of damage that it did to the area. It’s good to see some of the greenness come back now but really the damage has been done. I spoke to some walkers and they were devastated with what happened.
“We are looking to do a bit of a video where we explain to people about the damage which the fires cause. We want people to be safe when on the land but also to be respectful.
“We want people to enjoy being up here. It’s one of the most beautiful parts of Huddersfield, if not the world. It’s stunning Marsden Moor.”
READ MORE: £150 fines are no deterrent to irresponsible behaviour on Marsden Moor
Two things that really annoy Eorl is the build up of traffic and littering. “One of the things I really hate is being stuck in traffic and being around those fumes,” he said. “You can feel the difference in the air from being stuck in traffic to where I live.
“I was born with asthma, and whilst I still have it today, I think being so fit and training everyday helped it. So I’ve always been mindful that we are polluting the planet.
“Another thing that annoys me is rubbish. If I see a piece of rubbish in a car park I’ll actively go over and put it in a bin. It’s just my mindset to do that.
“We have to leave this planet in a good condition for generations to come. I want us to have a greener planet.
“I wouldn’t say I’m an activist or anything like that. However, I am very conscious of the planet we are creating and I am not happy with all of it.
“If I can play my part in making this a better planet to live on then I will. EV3 Power just gave me the opportunity to help in a different way.”
