NFL goes green for Superbowl

This year's Superbowl in Phoenix, AZ is expected to draw upwards of 150,000 fans. Not only the game itself, but The NFL Experience (a fan-focused event)draw the crowds and the two events create an estimated 150 tons of greenhouse gases. On top of this, the NFL's fleet of 3,000 coach buses, 1,500

vans and limos, and 300 - 400 official staff cars produces an additional 350 tons of greenhouse gases. The director of the NFL's Environmental Program, Jack Groh has developed green initiatives to offset the 500 tons of pollution.

The two-pronged approach to the problem involves using renewable energy for the events and planting trees and recycling and donating unused materials. Groh consulted The Salt River Project, a renewable energy group and devised a plan to use only renewable energy for the events. "Basically, all the electricity designated for the NFL Experience and the stadium will be wind, solar and thermal electricity,” according to Groh.

For the remaining 350 tons, the NFL plans to plant trees. The consensus among environmentalists is that, over its lifetime, an acre of forest offsets about 75 tons greenhouse gases. Although the NFL could get by with planting only a few acres, they will be planting 84 acres in the White Mountain Apache Reservation, an area that was devastated by fires in 2002. They won't be planting just any tree either, they will be planting trees that would naturally grow there. They also plan to cut waste by donating unused materials to nonprofits and donating unused food. Groh says last year the NFL "distributed 60,000 pounds of food last year in Miami, that translated into meals for about 55,000 people." They also plan to use hybrids for the staff vehicles.

Sounds like the NFL is doing their part, now if only the fans would plan to offset their greenhouse contributions.

[via Green Right Now]