When you think of UW-Madison football, pollution may not be the first thing that comes to mind.
However, the 80,000 fans attending those games put a lot of cars on the roads and take part of many other activities that can have a big impact on the environment. Vince Sweeney with the UW Athletic Department says those carbon emissions add up fast.
That's why the Badgers are launching an effort to neutralize the impact of one game this season. The UW's upcoming Homecoming game against the University of Illinois on October 25th will be a "carbon-neutral" game, meaning they're working to balance out the carbon emissions put out because of the game through other steps.
How do you offset the carbon footprint of 80,000 fans? Sweeney says they're hoping trees will help, with over 4,000 seedlings being planted in the Madison area this week, along with several thousand acorns and walnuts also planted. The UW is also purchasing carbon credits.
Sweeney says it's a massive undertaking that couldn't have been done without the help of several environmentally-driven student groups and faculty on campus. He says the event may not save the world, but it may get more Badger fans thinking about what they can do to reduce their own carbon footprint every day.