Super Bowl & Sustainability?

I was given an assignment in my environmental health class this past week to find any article in the news that had to do with the health of our environment.  I was shocked when I found one about the Super Bowl coming up related to Sustainability!  When I think of the super bowl, and the NFL the last thing that comes to my mind is environmentally friendly.  The amount of energy used at this event is astounding.

• The amount of energy used making the super bowl, this single event, what it is could power 1,500 homes for an entire year.  
• The amount of energy is estimated to have a 15,000 Megawatt Carbon Footprint.  

Can you believe that they are proposing that this event will not have an environmental impact with their sustainable solution?

The NFL along with Just Energy, and the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee are planning on purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs).  All of the carbon emissions dealing with the super bowl will be offset with these RECs.  Every Megawatt of energy used for the super bowl will be matched by a megawatt of renewable energy by a sea water windfarm in Seawater, Texas.

With this system of carbon offset, Super Bowl XLV will have no environmental impact.

Other things that the NFL is involved in regarding sustainability:

• Planting trees as part of "greening" of the super bowl
• Biofeuls will be used wherever they can
• transportation
• field generators
• Recycling at major event venues
• Extra food left over after sporting events will be donated
• All left over materials from events will also be donated

Seeing the efforts of the NFL really make me wonder.  If other major organizations get on this bandwagon what a big difference it could make.  The NFL has so much influence and I am excited to see what their jump toward sustainability will spur in other organizations.

Two thumbs up to the NFL.