Football fans across the globe are eagerly waiting for the 2014 Football World Cup, which will take place in Brazil in only a few months from now.
What is more remarkable, is that even the not-so-keen football supporters are looking forward to the event, not so much because of the sport itself, but because of the huge hype and enthusiasm associated with it.
But how many of them have stopped for a second and thought of what such global gathering would do to our environment? Even if you were one of these cautious fans, you would be surprised to know that the amount of carbon emissions only from flights to and from stadiums is expected to be twice as high as the this during the World Cup in South Africa back in 2010.
The news came from the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). They stated that around 80% of the total carbon pollution generated during the world cup will come from flights across the country. The total amount of carbon dioxide, expected to be pumped in the atmosphere within the month of the event, only from flights transporting fans between the 12 stadiums, is as estimated to be around 2.7 million tons.
FIFA has acknowledged this, and have tried to offset the carbon footprint by installing solar panels on the stadiums’ rooftops, support projects and initiatives associated with construction of renewable energy plants, as well as investing in major reforestation projects. Although the distance from the major cities, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, to the furthest stadium is nearly twice as big as the longest travel that had to be done in South Africa, the organization is convinced that they can balance the emissions by reducing energy consumption and boosting the renewable energy sector.
And who knows, maybe the figures are not going to be as bad as they are predicted now. After all, four years ago the emissions contributed 1 million tons less CO2, than initially projected. Hopefully this will be the case this time around too.
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