Everyone knows the Philadelphia Eagles are green, well, except when they wear their white away jerseys or black alternates. But from an environmental standpoint, the Eagles are also among the eco-friendly franchises in the NFL today.Already, the Eagles have solar panels that pump energy into their practice facility, biodegradable utensils, cups and bowls inside Lincoln Financial Field, the most vegetarian dining options of any concessions stand and a cheerleader calendar dedicated to saving the planet.This month however, the Eagles are breaking ground in a new stadium, not on a new stadium, announcing plans to turn Lincoln Financial Field into the first stadium solely supported by solar and wind power. The plan is made possible through a new partnership with Solar Blue, an Orlando based energy company dedicated to providing new and sustainable energy solutions. Ideally, the modifications necessary to this lofty endeavor into practice should be in place by the beginning of the 2011 NFL season. Put into place will be 80, 20-fot wind turbines on the upper rim of the stadium, combined with close to 2,500 solar panels. The turbines account for 15 of the stadiums energy with the solar panels matching for another 15. The remaining 70 will come from a plant run on biofuels and natural gas.The expected changes in power supply should account for 1.6 megawatts of extra energy. To put that into perspective, it takes 7 megawatts to keep Lincoln Financial Field running on Sunday from kickoff to the final whistle. The excess electricity will be sold to local utility companies, adding even more profit in addition to the anticipated 60 million in energy savings over the next 2 decades.The newly self-sustained Lincoln financial field will set the bar for franchise facilities across any of the major sports, up for competition across all literal fields of play throughout the world. Hopefully, teams around the league and around the world will take similar steps in keeping our earth healthy, as large gatherings like sporting events can so easily result in heightened levels of both pollution and energy use.