Sure, the Super Bowl is a plastic cup-using, foam finger-waving tribute to abundance in all its forms.

That doesn’t mean the NFL can’t try to minimize its impact on the environment.

From planting 10,000 new trees in Arizona to donating thousands of pounds of leftover food to soup kitchens and shelters, the NFL Environmental Program is trying to make the pinnacle of professional football a paragon of environmentalism.

“If you’re going to be over the top in how huge the event is,” said Jack Groh, the program’s director, “why not be over the top in terms of trying to address the environmental impact, too?”

Organizers of massive events worldwide, including the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, soccer’s World Cup, the Indianapolis 500, the Sundance Film Festival and the Academy Awards are all working to reduce their carbon footprints.