The Green Groove by Trish Smith
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Football teams across the nation - both college and NFL - go green to do their part for the environment

Yes folks, it’s that time of year when the kids go back to school, the summer clothes go on sale, and fantasy football fans fight it out to see who can choose the winning combination of players. Whether you’re a college football fan or an NFL fan, football season is definitely a time of year when people ban together to support their hometown team.

Although most people have a favorite player and know by heart every touchdown or pass he’s made, most fans don’t know much about the environmental efforts of the team itself. Wouldn’t you support your favorite player a little more if you knew that he was part of an organization that made a conscious effort to sustain the planet?

I know that I would, so I wanted to find a few college and NFL teams that are part of the going green effort. Here are 2 of each:

College

University of Colorado Buffaloes

The University of Colorado Buffaloes has its very own green effort, and it’s called “Ralphie’s Green Stampede.”   In an effort to make Folsom Field the first zero-waste football stadium in football history, the university will aim to recycle and compost 100% of the waste that it generates.

Right now only recycle and compost containers will be used in the stadium, so your trash has to go into one of them. The university hopes to recycle and compost 90% of its waste by the end of 2009, drawing closer to its 100% waste-free football goal!

University of Georgia Bulldogs

The University of Georgia has partnered with Georgia Power to provide 100% renewable energy for Sanford Stadium, which is where the University of Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will play on November 29. The energy will come from the Seminole Landfill methane gas facility, and it will help promote the state of Georgia’s commitment to using renewable energy resources.

NFL

Philadelphia Eagles
According to ABC News, the Philadelphia Eagles may be the greenest team in NFL Football. The team’s Go Green program was created in 2003 by the team’s owners, Jeffrey and Christina Weiss Lurie.  They couple wanted the Eagles to be the first sports organization to reduce its environmental footprint on the planet, so they created a few of these initiatives:

• Eagles Forest – Working with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the team opened a 6.5 acre site at Nashimy State Park known as Eagles Forest. Every time that the team flies to an away game, enough trees are planted in Eagles Forest to reduce the team’s carbon dioxide emissions.
• 100% Wind Energy – The teams gets to play at Lincoln Financial Field and the NovaCare Complex training facility, both of which are run on 100% renewable energy. As an added bonus, any Eagles employee that signs up for wind power with an energy provider will be completely reimbursed!
• Solar Panels for the NovaCare Complex- The facility where the Eagles play home games converts sunlight into energy and uses the solar power to eliminate 26,400 pounds of carbon dioxide each year!
• Battery and Light Bulb Recycling – In 2008 the Eagles employees received 2 free CFL bulbs to commemorate Earth Day. This sparked a new battery and light bulb recycling program that has encouraged everyone, from employees to players, to bring in their used batteries and light bulbs for recycling.

These are just a few of the team’s green efforts. Now does it really matter if Michael Vick is on the team?

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers announced that they will be building a $937 million dollar stadium that will include solar panels and a green roof. The stadium will seat 68,500 fans but will accommodate 75,000 (enough for a Super Bowl), and it is set to open in 2014.

Check out the design details.

It’s great to see football teams across the U.S. go green, and these teams have proven that they have what it takes to score big for the environment.  To show your support for green football efforts you can put on your favorite jersey, have a cold drink, and enjoy a game. But don’t forget to separate the recyclables from the trash…even if your team loses.