Foul Ball

Why environmentalists should love the NFL.

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


A game’s CO2 footprint depends on team size, travel, stadium size and energy use, and concessions. Game frequency, though, makes the biggest difference: One baseball game is a carbon lightweight. But all those doubleheaders add up, landing mlb in overall last place. Here’s how the big four score.

SPORT

GAMES PER SEASON

EMISSIONS PER TEAM PER GAME (TONS)*

TOTAL TEAM EMISSIONS PER SEASON (TONS)

OFFSET EFFORTS

NFL

16

716

11,448

The Philadelphia Eagles’ home games are 100% wind powered; team subsidizes renewable energy for employees’ homes; emissions cuts equal 1,500 cars per year.

NHL

82

232

18,983

More than 500 players pledged to offset their share of the league’s jet travel.

NBA

82

225

18,409

At a Houston Rockets “green game” this year, hybrids parked free; mascot Clutch the bear was dyed emerald.

MLB

162

179

28,998

The San Francisco Giants installed 590 solar panels in their stadium, enough to run the scoreboard for a season.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY...

Trump is clamping down on the media—using lawsuits, lies, intimidation, and a thuggish Federal Communications Commission. Corporate media are caving, but Mother Jones won’t back down. To help us stand strong, a generous board member has chipped in a $50,000 digital matching gift. Help us make the most of it before the deadline!

Until midnight TONIGHT, every contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

We have nearly 50 years of experience standing up to bullies. Government intimidation, nuisance lawsuits, threats to our nonprofit status—we’ve seen it all. Yet because we’re supported by a community of readers like you, we’re still here and still reporting like hell. Please stand with us. Every dollar you give will go twice as far.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY...

Trump is clamping down on the media—using lawsuits, lies, intimidation, and a thuggish Federal Communications Commission. Corporate media are caving, but Mother Jones won’t back down. To help us stand strong, a generous board member has chipped in a $50,000 digital matching gift. Help us make the most of it before the deadline!

Until midnight TONIGHT, every contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

We have nearly 50 years of experience standing up to bullies. Government intimidation, nuisance lawsuits, threats to our nonprofit status—we’ve seen it all. Yet because we’re supported by a community of readers like you, we’re still here and still reporting like hell. Please stand with us. Every dollar you give will go twice as far.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate