The Green Stampede Hits College Football – Greening the Gridiron
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10. 5.08
Photo courtesy of CU Buffs
The University of Colorado, home of the Big 12 team the Buffaloes, has launched the “Green Stampede”—an initiative designed to limit the environmental impact of their home stadium and road games. The Stampede is presented by Colorado based WhiteWave Foods Company, and will improve the sustainability of nearly every aspect of the gridiron.
Green Gridiron, Green Football
Stadium-side, there’ll be plenty of environmental improvements: food and drink containers will be recyclable, refillable, and compostable, all energy used by the stadium will be offset with wind energy credits, a free bike valet will be in service to encourage alternative transportation, and much of the waste generated at the stadium will be composted (an estimated 90 percent, which will save nearly nine tons of landfill space over the season).
Green Road Games
The Colorado Carbon Fund will offset the Buffaloes’ travel energy consumption, making the Big 12 team perhaps the greenest on the road.
Nearly 48 million people attend college football games every year—which makes for a prime opportunity for some serious greening. With programs like the Green Stampede in full swing, perhaps football is on its way to becoming the latest sustainable outdoor sport. Hopefully other Big 12 teams will take note and follow their example.
More on Green Football:
Football Versus Global Warming
Football Season is at Hand: Green Your Tailgating
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This is a great initiative. Hope this generates enough publicity for other teams to take notice.
I reckon football is probably the number one reason that people buy bigger and more energy hungry TVs.
How about they just stop broadcasting football games on TV? That would instantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tonnes a year. Might just convince a few of us to get of our arses and go outside to have a kick around ourselves.
The company is actually called "White Wave"?
How perfect is that?! LOL!
This is such a brilliant idea, I'm sure others will follow suit soon enough