On November 22nd, the last home game of the season will make Notre Dame history as the first carbon-neutral game played in the House that Rockne Built. All of the carbon emissions produced by stadium energy use as well as fan travel, hotel stays, and visiting team travel will be offset by energy conservation projects coordinated by the Office of Sustainability during its first semester on campus.

Many of the offsets stem from student-led conservation efforts, including the CFL Upgrade, the Dorm Energy Competition, the Reusable Grab ‘n Go Bag Raffle, and Game Day Recycling. "Many people don’t realize how much energy is saved by recycling," said Erin Hafner, Programs Coordinator in the Office of Sustainability. “But the 65 tons of recycling we have collected over the course of the football season actually translate into 144 metric tons of reduced carbon emissions.”

Making the game carbon neutral is only one of the green initiatives surrounding the Syracuse game, which coincides with NBC’s annual Green Week. NBC is hosting an eco-competition between Syracuse and Notre Dame; the school that has the most team members making commitments to lead greener lives wins $10,000, which will be used to enhance sustainability efforts on the winning campus. NBC is also hosting a video contest on the topic of sustainability, with the winning video to be broadcast on the NBC website and perhaps on national TV.

In the week leading up to the Syracuse game, the Office of Sustainability, GreeND, and the Sustainability Commissioners will again be teaming up to bring improved efficiency to the residence halls. An additional 3,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs will be distributed to those students who did not receive any in the CFL Upgrade of September 28th. In addition, students will be able to get an energy audit of their dorm room that will address everything from the power settings on their computer to the reliability of their thermostat.

What can fans do to participate? Whether you can make it to the Syracuse game or not, join the Fighting Irish team. If you will be at the game, wear a green hat, scarf, or jacket to show your green spirit. And stop by the Office of Sustainability tailgate in Joyce Lot at Lamppost 9. You can’t miss it – just look for the tailgate with a wind turbine.