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A Chance To Make The Game Super Green

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By JAMES R. MIHELCIC and HEATHER E. WRIGHT WENDEL

Special to the Tribune

Published: January 31, 2009

Much has been made about the greening of the Super Bowl.

The NFL has assisted with planting trees in our community that help to offset carbon emissions associated with major Super Bowl-sanctioned events. This is the fifth year that urban forestry projects have been implemented; however, Super Bowl XLIII marks the first year that long-term environmental impact monitoring will take place for the tree plantings.

Additionally, leftover food from parties will be donated to local food banks. Biomass-derived electricity has been purchased to power Super Bowl events, and used sports equipment is being donated to local schools.

This demonstrates that those who run one of the most successful business models in our country understand that being environmentally conscious can be green not only in terms of the environment, but also in terms of the business bottom line.

But is the Super Bowl, as it is currently managed, a shiny green or a dull olive green?

The Super Bowl is a major event and holds a special place for millions of fans. Seventy thousand will experience it at Raymond James Stadium, and as the highest-rated television event of the year, over 90 million people will watch the game at home or at the many parties across the nation.

Setting The Bar Higher

However, in the hierarchy of what is termed pollution prevention, source reduction that prevents the generation of waste is always preferred over recycling waste. Although recycling waste generated at the stadium is a notable and achievable goal, a major event like the Super Bowl should not only set the bar higher to a goal of near-zero waste at the stadium, but more importantly, expand the system boundary to cover the parking lots, the two weeks of local Super Bowl-sanctioned events, and the transport and lodging of NFL officials and fans associated with the game.

Additionally, approaching the problem with a "life-cycle thinking" mind-set would encourage the NFL and its sponsors to think of the "cradle-to-grave" impact of putting on the Super Bowl. Life-cycle thinking demonstrates that the use of carbon offsets through tree planting and purchasing electricity not generated from coal and natural gas, which will power the major Super Bowl events, are good first steps and a sound business decision. However, there is a tremendous amount of energy associated with moving fans, the media and event staff to Tampa, along with housing and feeding all of them. There is also water, energy and materials associated with producing the food, beverages and containers that will be consumed during the game, as well as the energy and chemicals needed to purify the wastewater that will be generated.

Life-Cycle Thinking

Furthermore, no meaningful public transit has been set up to move fans to the many events they have to choose from. In fact, by using a cradle-to-grave approach, the NFL would see that the total energy consumed over the life of the event dwarfs the 187,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy purchased to green the "use" phase.

Life-cycle thinking can also be used to make the grass even greener for the Super Bowl. With this approach, the NFL could evaluate the water, energy and materials consumed for raising the newly installed grass and transporting the turf from Alabama to Tampa for installation.

With this type of thinking, the NFL would not be installing and watering a thirsty new grass field daily in a water-scarce area during a drought. They also would never think of killing it a week later by covering it with dirt and plywood, as will happen with this field. This problem gets more complicated (but not unsolvable) when thinking of the large amount of water, energy and chemicals that went into each section of turf over its lifetime.

Make no point about it: We are supportive and encouraging of these initial efforts by the NFL, other businesses, homeowners and government to act green and aggressively attack the low-hanging fruit. But events of the magnitude of the Super Bowl can, and should, think much bigger and develop strategies to reach that higher fruit.

When the Super Bowl is further tweaked and improved through innovation and sustainability principles, value will be added, the business bottom line of all involved will improve - all while offering an enhanced environmental and human health profile, in addition to a superior sporting event.

James R. Mihelcic is a professor of civil and environmental engineering and a Florida 21st Century World Class Scholar at the University of South Florida. Heather E. Wright Wendel is a doctoral student at the University of South Florida studying environme

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