With much of the world swept up in football/soccer fever enjoying this huge sporting spectacular. We do forget the environmental impact of holding such an event. FIFA are planning to implement projects to offset the environmental impact of the World Cup such as solar paneling and the replanting of trees, but of the reported billions of dollars of world cup revenue set to line FIFA’s pockets they will spend a measly……. $2.5 million

Internal travel within Brazil during the month long tournament will produce an estimated 2.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. That’s the equivalent of 560,000 passenger cars driving for one year.

Building a FIFA-quality stadium in the middle of the rainforest to be used for only four matches defies logic. FIFA did install solar panels to run the stadium and provide free energy for nearby communities; how long will an unused stadium be left to provide free energy for much needed communities waits to be seen.

There is some good to come from FIFA’s plans. Solar panels installed on two of the largest stadiums are set to produce up to one mega watt of power a year for 25 years, which could potentially power between 750 – 1000 homes per annum. This is only a drop in the ocean, but it is a step in the right direction, down a long path.