Super Bowl 2011 (or Super Bowl XLV) stands to be the greenest yet, and not just because it involves the Green Bay Packers.
How could a huge event such as this be in the least bit environmentally friendly? After all, the event is a massive consumer of energy every year, especially when you take into account its related activities and facilities: NFL Super Bowl headquarters, Super Bowl media center, AFC and NFC team hotels, and NFL Experience Football Theme Park.
The amount of power needed to run the annual event is mind boggling. It has been estimated by Just Energy, that the Super Bowl uses enough electricity to power 1,500 homes for a year.
This year the game itself is being played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It will have 1,000 WiFi access points around the stadium, 3,500 46-inch high definition screens, and the massive 152-by-72-foot (46 by 22 m) HD jumbotron, or rather “Jerry-tron“ as it is referred to. This is the largest in the world (pictured above).
However, this year a deal for renewable energy certificates (RECs) has been struck between Just Energy, the NFL (National Football League), and the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee.
The deal will make sure that all direct and indirect carbon emissions related to power generation at main venues will be offset with renewable energy certificates. For every single megawatt of electricity used in the production of the event, 1 megawatt of clean energy will be generated by the Sweetwater Wind Farm, not far outside of Dallas.
In addition to this Green Energy initiative, the NFL has initiated some other projects aimed at addressing environmental impacts associated with the event. These initiatives include planting thousands of trees, recycling waste, donating leftover materials and foods to local non-profit agencies, and using biofuels in transportation vehicles and generators for events.
How does all this sound to you? Is the NFL making a good effort to lower the Super Bowl’s environmental footprint?
via TriplePundit
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