In case you are not attending what may be one of the most environmentally-unfriendly Super Bowl parties you know, like I will, you may be wondering how a Super Bowl party can be green and eco-friendly.  At least greener than the disposable plates, cups, lack of recycling, and meat-oriented everything that normally goes with these events.

In fact, if you are lucky enough to be hosting your own shindig, and you are curious in this short notice how to make your party have more splash with your friends but less impact with the environment, I have rounded up some great links to check out for your pursuit:

Lighter Footstep advises you on grilling (oh, tasty!). 

Green Diva Mom writer shares a full-out healthy menu plan.

Trey of Earth911 has got the eight best tips, from menu, to toilets, to gambling, and souvenirs.

Last year, I posted these tips on buying bulk, beer, and links I liked.

The NFL consistently works to progress their sustainability initiatives and reduce their environmental impact.  The NFL as an organization and the Tampa Bay Super Bowl are only a small part of the picture:  we fans are accountable for our impact, and it adds up.

We are not pushing to provide only organic, fair-trade, and locally-grown foods, or to use solar power to fuel your party, because as great as those choices are, many of us and our friends are just “getting our feet wet” with being more environmentally-friendly (if they care at all).  So do what you can, and be proud of that.

So, in whatever effort you can, make that difference, and go have fun!  

Sustainably Steelers,

Ashley Sue

Have you made your grocery list for your Super Bowl party (or Anti-Super Bowl party, as it may be) yet?  Here’s an idea if you want to be greener:  buy in bulk.

That’s right, folks.  I’m advocating Costco (or BJ’s if you prefer) as a source to keep the Earth more green and to keep more green in your wallet. 

Buying in bulk is a super easy way to keep the packaging down.  Entertaining a hungry crowd can mean bulk trash, but if you buy bulk, you can greatly reduce your outtake.

Go get a five-pack of avocados to make your guac (yum!), or for that matter, just buy their big tub of premade guac (the tubs at Costco are actually fantastic and affordable!).  Buy one giant box of your jalapeno poppers, your taquitos, your spanikopita.  One giant box is better than buying eight boxes (stuffed with plastic wrapping) that only have a handful of your favorite treats.

Instead of buying six bags of shredded cheese, get one three pound block of your favorite cheese and shred it yourself, or buy one of their jumbo bags of shredded cheese.  Trust me, these bulk retailers carry a massive variety of cheeses ~ you’re guaranteed to be happy.

Buy two giant 60 oz. cans of baked beans to heat up instead of tons of cans from your nearby grocery chain.  It’ll be cheaper and be one can to recycle instead of a bunch.

Get one gigundo container of cashews or mixed nuts instead of the nine jars you planned on.

Check out the fantabulously large bags of chips ~ tortilla, vegetable chips, cheesey poofs, kettle cooked, taro chips… whatever your heart desires, they’ve got a bunch o’ brands and flavors in ginormous sizes.

Barbequing?  Grab a 6.5 lb bag of hormone-free antibiotic-free boneless skinless chicken from the frozen section.  It’s less than $12.

You get my point, and even if you’re having a swankier fiesta for the game, I promise they’ll have cheese and vegetables and such that you can cube up and make uberbeautiful.

If buying in bulk for your Super Bowl throwdown isn’t one easy way to make somewhat of a difference for Mama Earth, I don’t know what is.

Plus, I promise, your wallet will approve too. 

~Sustainably yours, A*Sue

In prepping for your Super Bowl XLII shenanigans, I know you want to know how to “green” up all the partying that is classic synonymous with cheap beer, cheap chicken wings, genetically-modified corn chips, cheap melted cheese (cheese stuff, in some cases), and chili (pumped full of beef from cows in South America). 

Today’s tip is to greenify your (more…)

Pulling out the seven-layer dip recipe and deciding what chomps to make, I’m happy to share that the NFL is taking consistent steps toward a greener, more sustainable future.  Yep.  That’s the side of the game you aren’t going to hear much about this week.

While you cheer for the underdogs or cheer for breaking history, my friends at the Greenwash Brigade shared some *super* cool info for me, an NFL fan getting ready for Super Sunday (who needs Super Tuesday, right?).

Under the leadership of Jack Groh, the NFL Environmental Program is, for the third straight year, reducing the carbon footprint of the big game. While federal policymakers drag their feet, the NFL is fighting climate change next Sunday by offsetting 500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions through support of wind, solar, geothermal and landfill power as well as planting dozens of acres of trees in the host state of Arizona.

Further, they’ve got the arena ready for recycling and using a number of locally-sourced goods. 

Yes, I’m not stupid ~ I know that the cheap beer, the brats, the excess amounts of cheap, Chinese-produced beads and souvenirs are far from the “green” we dream for.  But it’s another step, and that’s all I can push.

As Dennis over at Green Brigade says:

The more we can make all big events climate responsible, the more we can grow a culture that transforms our country.

Sounds about right to me.

And Jeffrey over at Fun Times points out

This year is actually the 2nd year in a row that the SuperBowl will run on 100% renewable energy. Wow, chock that up to yet another fact I didn’t know.

In fact, Jeffrey explains how the NFL’s going green better than I can, so check that out.

Until then, I’m going to reminisce over Super Bowls past…

…and dream of the sustainability of Super Bowls to come.

For the coming year(s) of my life, I resolve to make action happen in my personal life in order to feel less… well, less of so many of the bluh things I have felt lately.

Consequently, I resolve to de-tv myself. 

No, I will not throw my tv by the curb (I’d donate it to AnimalKind Retails anyhow).  I will not unplug the cable (besides, I pay for cable with my rent involuntarily… wouldn’t that be throwing out money?).

I resolve to turn off the tv unless I am actively watching a show ~ choosing to sit and indulge in Young and the Restless (sick, I know, I am sick), yell at the Steelers (and here) for yet another sadly predictable week (still love you, TP/BBR/WP/SH/HW) or relax in awe of Planet Earth / Blue Planet (the best series EVER ~ thank you BBC).  But NO more “hey, I’m bored, I’m home, let’s turn on the tube and let it putter another Friends rerun while I cook”, which is frankly where most of my tv viewing takes place. 

Boo.  I resolve to turn off the tv and hence experience my own thoughts.  Or turn on music.  And paint.  Or, OMG, get so bored I go for a walk at the park.  Or experience my community.  Make a friend with the elderly chap next door.  Or use my new cookware to try a scary new recipe.

By taking this resolution, I know I will damper the feelings of gloom, loneliness and guilt I take on as I watch yet another episode of Dharma & Greg.  I know that I will inspire myself in ways I did not know I could in that time.  I know that I will become more aware of humanity and the world around me by actively choosing what I do and where I am, as opposed to passively allowing my life to pass by as I watch other losers’ lives (sorry… exaggerated judgement for effect).  I know that I will find a new class to take or make that leap out of a plane with Doug (and drag Marc with us).  And by choosing to experience all these other things instead of the tv, I save the senseless energy consumption of constantly having it on.

Who knew that turning off the tv could do so much for 2008. 

I’m surprised I turned the tv off long enough to think it all through.

Cheers to viewing more through my own eyes and less through a flat screen in 2008~

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

During the Sunday Night Football, Dallas v. Philly game, NBC Universal kicked off a week of “Green” awareness by making all the NBC stations’ (NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, etc.) logos green, as well as pulling some interesting antics to grab the viewers’ attention toward a more global perspective.  This NBC “Green is Universal” week started with the Sunday Night Football pregame and halftime commentary taking place in the studio… as usual… except with Madden, Michaels, Olberman, Costas, Bettis, Barber and the rest without any studio lighting!

No, your TV screen was not blacked out (in case you didn’t see for yourself).  The studio was very dim, however, and lighted only by the screens of the TVs that encircle the commentators. 

The point of this?  To save on fuels used to run those lights~ The energy saved by turning off the lights burned in that studio during one Sunday night game equals the power used to light one average American home for one month (how big the average American home is, however, I cannot answer).  That’s pretty great!

During half-time, the hosts spoke with Matt Lauer, who is currently in Greenland for the Green Week festivities on Today (this week is “The Ends of the Earth” on Today, with Matt in Greenland/North Pole, Anne Curry in Antarctica and Al Roker in Ecuador at the equator).

Some viewers, like conservation groups, are impressed with the NBC green initiative.  Some others see the stunt as an interesting way in which corporate media is attempting to walk their talk.

Of course, not everyone found NBCU’s attempt to spread awareness enlightening.  In fact, a few found it to be outright, misplaced, propaganda that isolates the NFL fanbase.  And that’s only a few examples.

Really? 

Trust me, I get the cynicism.  Big Bad Media hop on any bandwagon they can in order to look good and grab a rating.  Boo on corporate sellouts.

Then again… let’s rethink this.  Not because I work for media (by the way, NBC 17 is not owned by NBCU, so I’m not bankrolled to say all this).  I want to look this over because I am a fan of the NFL and more importantly (more…)