As the green movement evolves it seems renewable energy can be found just about everywhere, but did you know how prominent it can be in sports? Here's a look at just some of what the national football, hockey, and soccer leagues are doing to go green!
A typical NFL stadium uses enough electricity in a year to power about 1,000 average U.S. homes, leaving some football teams with annual power bills of more than a million dollars.
FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins, now receives 20% of its electricity on game days, 100% on other days, from a new solar array in the stadiums parking lot. In Seattle, the Seahawks installed the NFL’s first stadium solar array which consists of 4,000 tube-shaped panels on top of a building next to CenturyLink Field. The team uses the solar array and a centralized control system that allows for the control of every light and scoreboard in the stadium and also use energy more efficiently, cutting annual usage by more than 20%.
Watch this video to learn more!
In addition to renewable energy for its stadiums, the NFL looks to be environmentally-friendly in all areas of its business including resource efficiency and waste minimization. The Super Bowl in particular has five main initiatives (solid waste management, material reuse, food recovery, sports equipment and book donations, and greenhouse gas reduction), and various NFL clubs have their own sustainability movements:
One team that is not just green uniform but also in its business practices is the Philadelphia Eagles. The SportsBusiness Journal called the Eagles Go Green initiative "the most comprehensive greening effort of any major sports team." Since launching Go Green in 2003, the Eagles have recycled thousands of tons of waste; greened their entire supply chain; and created Eagles Forest, a 6.5 acre area in Neshaminy State Park, PA where the Eagles have funded the purchase of more than 4,000 trees and shrubs.
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In November of 2010 the Eagles announced a groundbreaking plan to power its stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, exclusively from renewable energy (onsite wind, solar, and bio-fuel). This transformative initiative will be the first of its kind among sports facilities worldwide. The project will not only eliminate the use of fossil fuels at Lincoln Financial Field, but it is also projected to save the Eagles $60M in energy costs over the next 20 years. The Eagles have proven that going green is both good for the environment and good business.
The NHL's Green program reaches out to the younger generation by promoting the importance of being connected and aware of how our actions impact the world around us. In 2007, the NHL Player's Association partnered up with the David Suzuki Foundation. David Suzuki commented on the importance of this by saying that "environmentalists would kill to get this type of attention," said jokingly, as he pointed to a line of cameras. "Let's face it, an old crusty guy like me, an environmentalist, who is going to listen to me? But these guys connect directly with our youth and it's all about the future." NHL Green also promotes reduce water usage, food recovery, and equipment recycling. Visit their website to learn more about what they are doing and how you can participate.
Soccer
A group of students at Harvard have come up with a revolutionary idea that could change the lives of many people in developing countries. They have developed an energy harvesting soccer ball called sOccket that is able to produce electric energy when being kicked around. When the soccer ball is kicked, it captures the energy from impact that is normally lost to the environment, storing this energy for later use. The electricity from this ball can then be used to charge a cell phone battery or to light an LED lamp for several hours. Watch this video to learn more!
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about renewable energy - Knowledge Is Power! For more information go to www.endeavorscorp.com or write to us at info@endeavorscorp.com if you have questions or want to get involved. Have a green day!
Sources: Soccket, Clean Technica, Energy Boom, Energy Boom, Green Optimistic, Inhabitat, NFL News, NHL Green
Sources: Soccket, Clean Technica, Energy Boom, Energy Boom, Green Optimistic, Inhabitat, NFL News, NHL Green
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