World Footy News

Essendon Football Club yesterday released details of a significant enviromental project and came hot on the heels of the announcement by the USAFL that they would be aiming for a "Green Nationals" tournament this year. This is part of the world wide push to look after the environment, bringing footy into line with communities and corporations across the globe looking to carry out their activities in an enviromentally sustainable manner.

Construction of an 800,000 litre water storage system - which will be housed underneath the famed Windy Hill oval surface - officially began yesterday. The system (called a 'StormTech' water storage system) will capture 5-8 million litres of water each year from existing roof structures, the oval and an approved bore into massive underground cylinders for use around the club. Construction will take just four weeks to complete.

The storage system is part of a joint $3 million partnership between Essendon and the Australian Federal Government. Essendon is the first of at least 10 selected sites to begin construction work under a $15 million national 'Green Precincts Fund'. "The Essendon Football club and the Federal Government are committed to reducing the impact this club has on the environment," Essendon managing director, Peter Jackson said. "We are proud to be the first of the Green Precinct demonstration sites to be funded and begin work and we believe Essendon will set a strong example to the community about the need to use less water.

"Essendon is unique in that our training facility, Windy Hill oval, is still a community facility. It is used by parents wanting to have a kick with their kids and organisations, including schools and other sporting groups, so this environmental water project will be supporting a popular local asset. "Many great sporting moments have taken place on top of the Windy Hill surface and it is historic that an important community project is now happening underneath."

"Over the next two-three years we will undertake other large and small projects to help the club halve its reliance on potable water and significantly reduce green house gas emissions," Mr Jackson said. "We recently completed an environmental audit of Windy Hill and now have a firm plan for the areas that need improvement - our goal is to be as environmentally friendly as this club can be.

"As a high profile AFL club, we have an opportunity to better educate our players, staff and fans about the importance of the environment and the ways they can help day-to-day."

Meanwhile in Colorado Springs the USAFL is taking it's own measures. The statement on their website reads "The USAFL is excited to announce that the 2008 USAFL NATIONALS will be our first green nationals. Working with our major sponsor, Coopers Beer – (The most environmentally friendly brewery in the southern hemisphere) we will endeavor to drastically reduce our effect on the environment compared with past years. This seems appropriate as we be playing under the shadows of the majestic Colorado Rockies in Colorado Springs."

Some of the measures being taken are

-Doing away with over 3000 water bottles by having large water tanks and having teams refill normal footy drink bottles.

-Saving over 2500 pages of paper by publishing all AGM paper work online and on CD for teams to keep.

-Electircity will be saved by providing chilled water vs iced water.

-Buses and Coaches will be provided for transfers to reduce the need for large numbers of cars.

-All paper products will be 100% post consumer and any printing will be done with corn based ink.

-Cups that beer, wine and vodka will be served in 100% corn biodegradable containers and there will be active recycling at fields producing at least 2000kg in recyclable items.

Finally all participants will be given opportunity to donate to alternative energies such as windpower, to offset their carbon footprint.