Brazil Pledges "Greenest World Cup Ever" Blahblahblah "Scoring Green Goals" Blahblah

BRASILIA (AFP) - Brazil has announced a package of pollution-cutting measures aimed at making this year's World Cup more environmentally friendly, ranging from an emissions-trading scheme to a "green passport" smart-phone application.

"We want to score green goals," said Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira on Tuesday at a press conference announcing the initiative. The World Cup and other major sports events generally leave giant carbon footprints.

Building stadiums and infrastructure, flying in teams and fans, and hosting the games themselves all emit large amounts of Earth-warming greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Ms Teixeira said this year's World Cup, which runs from June 12 to July 13, is expected to directly add 59,000 tonnes of carbon to the atmosphere.

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Annticipating that many will want to explore the country between matches, the project proposes environmentally friendly travel itineraries from each host city, complete with a cell phone app. Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen is the project's official spokesman.

Ed. - Yay! We're saved!!

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http://www.straitstimes.com/news/sport/world-cup-2014/story/brazil-promises-greenest-world-cup-20140528