CFL Looking to Go Green

Hello Readers,

I first want to congratulate the Dallas Cowboys for taking care of business yesterday when they went into New York and dismantled the Giants. All the so called "expert" said that the Giants were closing the gap between them and the Cowboys but that doesn't seem to be the case. The Cowboys are the second best team in the NFL. Come February hopefully the Cowboys can get a rematch with those undefeated New England Patriots.

Speaking of football, I read an article about the Canadian Football League (CFL) and how their commissioner is looking to make their sport more green. Mark Cohen is making a strong initiative to make the CFL's Grey Cup more environmentally friendly. The Grey Cup is the CFL's equivalent to the National Football League's (NFL) Super Bowl. According to the CFL web site, the Grey Cup is Canada's largest television event. This year's Grey Cup will be held November 25, 2007.

According to the article by the Canadian Press, Cohen is looking to improve the Grey Cup in three areas: "The use of renewable, clean energy, waste management and carbon offsetting." Cohen said that he has listened to the young fans of the CFL and decided to the league could help influence people who don't know how to live a more green life.

According to the article, Cohen practices what he preaches as he drives a hybrid vehicle. Cohen also said that he expects 300,000 people will visit Toronto during the Grey Cup and that will create an huge impact of the environment.

Recently, the CFL determined that the "total carbon dioxide emissions associated with its championship game's energy use, paper and team air travel, according to a environmental audit. The league will try to balance this effect with a reforestation effort that will be held in British Columbia."

The CFL is also planning on partnering with Bullfrog Power to help provide clean energy during the Grey Cup festivities. CFL is also using Turtle Island to help provide the proper waste management and recycling services throughout the week of the Grey Cup as well as the game itself. Cohen did stress that this is not a one-year thing but he wants it to become a yearly initiative.

A quick shout out to Middlebury College ski team who are working hard to fund a wind farm project in Minnesota and North Dakota as well as a farm methane project. The ski team said that skiing is in jeopardy because of global warming. This effort is part of a service-learning project for environmental economics students.