Super Bowl XLIV: Who will it be…Blue, Gold or GREEN?

In each industry, sustainability grows a little every year and professional football is no exception. This year’s Super Bowl is the Greenest so far and this is how they’re making it happen. NetEtra Energy Resources will be providing wind and solar energy for usage during the game. Any overages as well as the energy needed for preparation will be matched with RECs or Renewable Energy Certificates. Meanwhile, hundreds have been planted throughout Southern Florida for the last 6 years in connection with this year’s Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. This was done through partnership with the US Forest Service and the locations include schools, parks and playgrounds. Recycling will take place in various forms like traditional recycling and collecting and donating prepared food left over from the event. They will also be providing an opportunity, through Super Kids—Super Sharing, for kids to donate used books and sporting equipment for needy children.

Several companies are in on the action such as GE, Audi and Pepsi to name a few. GE is shelling out an estimated $100,000 per second to air its “Wizard of Oz”-themed ad. Its part of GE’s Ecomagination campaign to promote their smart grid technology. Audi is airing comical ads to promote its A3 DTI, which won car of the year from Green Car Journal. This one’s is funny. Finally Pepsi, money isn’t the only thing they’re saving by not advertising in this year’s lineup of multi-million dollar TV ads. Pepsi is rolling out their Energy-Efficient, HFC-Free Cooler

Now That's Cool

at the Super Bowl as well as other select places around Miami. These coolers use natural refrigerants, making harmful Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) far less prevalent. Best of all, they use less energy that a 100-watt light bulb and reduce greenhouse gases by 99%.

At this year’s Super Bowl party, where blue or gold, but make your party green. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE and have fun!

References:

Siranosian, Kathryn. “Six Ways the NFL Is Greening Super Bowl XLIV. Really..” Triplepundit 4 Feb 2010: n. pag. Web. 4 Feb 2010. .

“PepsiCo Debuts Energy-Efficient, HFC-Free Cooler at Super Bowl.” PR Newswire 2 Feb 2010: n. pag. Web. 4 Feb 2010. .

Carbon Sequestration : A U.S – China Collaboration for a Promising World Fate?

China, the world’s largest greenhouse gas producer, may have found the answer to dramatically decreasing their CO2 emissions: geologic carbon sequestration. This form of carbon storage captures CO2 from coal-burning power plants and other CO2 point sources that would have otherwise been emitted into the atmosphere and stores it deep within various geologic formations. Successful carbon sequestration within China would allow the country to continue cheap production and use of coal while addressing the overwhelming concerns of CO2 emissions. However, for a long while it was believed that China didn’t have the geologic means to store the carbon, and thus was not seriously considered as a viable option for reducing emissions. Fortunately, a recent study by the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has countered those beliefs, revealing that China has the capacity to store roughly 3,000 gigatons of CO2 in various onshore and offshore formations across the country, proving storage capabilities for at least a century [1]. Furthermore, the study showed that the potential reservoirs for carbon storage are all within a 100 mile range of 90% of the power plants and industrial facilities of China that are prominent CO2 emission sources. This fact will keep extensive CO2 transport infrastructure from being built, saving the total cost of the project substantially [1].

This research has put in place a first-ever clean energy collaboration between the U.S. and China, which has now expanded to an extensive effort “to create various institutions and programs addressing a wide array of cooperation on clean-energy technologies and capacity building” [2]. This expansive collaboration includes the establishment of the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center, in which $150 million US dollars, provided by various public and private sectors, will be available to facilitate further research as mentioned above [2]. With the U.S. being the world’s second largest greenhouse emitter, this collaboration could mean great advances in the global reduction of CO2 emissions and a more promising clean energy future. Both President Jintao of China and President Obama are in agreement of the severity of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and are committed to taking the essential steps to mitigating the problem.

From this, I feel a sense of encouragement that this dire issue will be addressed in the diligent manner in which it deserves and I look forward to the next several years, as I fully agree with the statement of Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy, “What the U.S. and China do over the next decade will determine the fate of the world.” Let’s just hope that what is done is something good…

[1] http://energyenvironment.pnl.gov/news/pdf/us_china_pnnl_flier.pdf

[2] http://www.grist.org/article/2009-11-17-u.s.-and-china-announce-positive-cooperative-and-comprehensive-p/