This entry is duplicated from The Cool Green Science blog of the Nature Conservancy. Click the link to go visit and/or subscribe.
This year’s Super Bowl is going green: the NFL has expanded its environmental program which had basic recycling to include food donations, green energy purchase, and tree planting. Though the NFL admits that while these efforts don’t complete negate the Super Bowl’s impact on the environment, it does make a difference, St. Petersburg Times reports.
The NFL is purchasing renewable energy from TECO, which gets its power from solar panels in the Tampa Bay area and from a biomass facility in South Florida. TECO officials estimate that powering the Super Bowl with renewable energy will prevent more than 313,000 pounds of CO2 emissions - but will increase the stadium’s cost by about $5,000.
In order to offset the game’s carbon impact, the NFL (with help from the U.S. Forest Service and the Florida Division of Forestry) is planting 2,700 trees at a dozen sites in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
Leftover prepared food will also be donated to local charities and churches. Building materials, decoration, office equipment and supplies used to prepare for the game will also be donated to nonprofits to use or sell for cash.
Last month, StubHub launchded its “Tickets for Trees” program, which plants a tree for every ticket purchased on StubHub for the 2008-09 NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl.
The 2008 Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona was the first to be powered completely with renewable energy.
I would love to go to the Superbowl. I would like to sit right behind Home Plate. Linda in Washington
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty cool. It seems like most people are realizing that they need to stop the excess, or at least temper it with offsets.
ReplyDeletethat's cool about the extra food being donated. i ate many a meal because of an organization called second harvest, that coordinated with the soup kitchens in the area where i squatted.
ReplyDeletei hope you and beth have a great time tomorrow. do you know about when your commercial will be on? i would love to see it!
xxalainaxx
Good deal ... Go Green, Superbowl!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Marty
I'm with Alaina, glad to hear the food will be donated and not just disposed of
ReplyDeleteshould be a good game; enjoy it!
betty
that's cool and very interesting....
ReplyDeletego Cards!
My Blog
Although I'm not big on the Super Bowl (Yes, I know I'm in the lower numbers of that equation). I loved hearing about these changes of going Green. (Hugs)Indigo
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about the StubHubs...very cool!!!!
ReplyDelete