Amid the frenzied media attention preceding tomorrow’s Super Bowl, both teams have been thoroughly analyzed, the Phoenix area heavily explored and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady received a marriage proposal from an intrepid reporter. But few of the throngs of journalists in the Valley of the Sun have examined the environmental impact of the culmination of the NFL Season.
Had they done so, as this Associated Press piece does, they would have realized the NFL has gone to great lengths to improve the environment around Super Bowl host cities as part of the NFL Environmental Program.
“From planting 10,000 new trees in Arizona to donating thousands of pounds of leftover food to soup kitchens and shelters, the NFL Environmental Program is trying to make the pinnacle of professional football a paragon of environmentalism,” the Associated Press wrote.
Though NFL officials acknowledged their efforts will not offset the entire environmental impact of the Super Bowl, their attempts are certainly commendable. The 10,000 trees were planted in an area that experienced a devastating wildfire several years ago. Although only several thousand are expected to survive due to poor soil, it is still more than if the NFL did nothing.
Additionally, the game will be powered with SRP EarthWise Energy, which is produced entirely from renewable sources like solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal power, according to the official Super Bowl Web site. On the same Web page, the NFL has provided energy saving and recycling tips to encourage fans to be as green as possible as well.
While such actions are not that unusual in today’s more environmentally-conscious world, I was surprised to learn that the NFL introduced its environmental program 14 years ago when activism and global warming were not as prominent in America. Hopefully the program can continue to improve during the next 14 years and become a role model for other major sporting events such as the World Series, NBA Finals and Stanley Cup.
So, regardless of the Super Bowl’s outcome, fans can rest assured the NFL has attempted to make the game environmentally friendly.
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Interesting post Brian. I also saw this while watching the game yesterday and thought it was fun to see people biking to power up the broadcast. Now, if only they could do this for not just the big game! Trek Teams Up With AMP to Help Power Super Bowl XLII
— Trek Bicycle today announced it has teamed up
with Mountain Dew AMP Energy to power the AMP Human Energy Event at Super
Bowl XLII in Glendale, AZ. Using 42 Trek 7200 hybrid bikes connected to
rear wheel generators, AMP athletes will turn pedal power into electrical
power, generating enough electricity to power the entire promotional booth.
The Trek-powered generators will also return enough electricity to the
Phoenix power grid to offset all of the energy used during the first half
hour of Fox's official Super Bowl XLII broadcast, making it the first
energy-neutral broadcast in Super Bowl history.
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