World Cup's Green Goal

On March 19th, 2006 Science/AAAS published this article, edited by Constance Holden, that reflects on the new push for 'climate neutrality' in major sports events.

Organizers of next month's soccer World Cup in Germany plan to offset the event's greenhouse gas emissions with investments in alternative energy.

Greenhouse gases released by food production, stadium lighting, and travel to and from stadiums in the cup's 12 cities could top 100,000 tons, according to Christian Hochfeld, deputy director of the Institute for Applied Ecology in Berlin. To balance these emissions with savings elsewhere, the Federation Internationale de Football Association, which coordinates the World Cup, is voluntarily funding green power projects. These include a turbine in the South African township of Sebokeng that converts methane from sewage into electrical power; biogas systems for India's Tamil Nadu region, and a sawdust-powered boiler to supply electricity for a fruit farm in South Africa.

The plan reflects a new push for 'climate neutrality' in major sports events from the Superbowl to the Olympics. Ecologist Mark Bain of Cornell University, who calculated expected greenhouse gas emissions from New York's failed bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, says, "It's good these efforts raise awareness about climate change." But, he cautions, it's "a complex matter; depending on how you define your emissions sources, you can get any kind of answer you want."