Green Super Bowl
Feb 10Like many of the readers of this newspaper, I plan to spend Sunday evening watching the Super Bowl with some friends. Of course, I want to do it as environmentally friendly as possible. Here are some tips that you could try for this game or any other party occasion.
Let’s start with food. We always eat something made with pig (the ball being called pigskin and all). But a die-hard environmentalist doesn’t eat meat. Livestock (pigs, cows and chickens) are a large source of greenhouse gases, accounting for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. They also generate 64% of the ammonia, which contributes to acid rain and acidification of the ecosystem. I can’t give up meat completely for this meal, so we are taking a baby step by buying a certified organic ham and bacon to serve. The meat market where we shop also has locally raised meats so we can minimize shipping issues.
I wish we had canned or frozen more of the vegetables from the garden to serve, but at least most of the local grocers now offer pesticide-free choices. This has been the most interesting change in the grocery business and the organic aisle and choices keeps growing. We are getting bread baked locally but can’t find any locally made chips and crackers. The plan is to put out real plates and cloth napkins to avoid disposable choices made with paper (or worse, Styrofoam). If you must use disposable, the paper ones are at least made from trees (a renewable resource) rather than from petroleum (a non-renewable resource).
We also plan to serve drinks in the bottles and cans and try and avoid using any extra drinking glasses if possible. There is an environmental trade-off by using energy to run the dishwasher and adding high-phosphate soap and hot water. I think it is worth it on plates and bowls, but still don’t want to add cups and glasses if possible. Luckily, my friends have no problem drinking straight from the can. The last thing I make sure to have is some storage containers and zip-lock bags to send food home with the guests or save for leftovers for the family. I have even started keeping a partial box of zip lock bags in the trunk of my car.
I hope it is a good game and your party is as green as it can be.
