Japan baseball shortens games 12 minutes in belief it will help global warming

• 'Time of game' a global warming issue in Japan. Carbon credits will be purchased in case of shortfall, of course.

3/18/2008, AFP, "Japanese baseball joins fight against global warming"

• "By reducing playing time by 12 minutes per game, the NPB estimates this year baseball will be able to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 209 tonnes over 864 games.

NPB, which has 12 clubs under its wing, said it will

• buy carbon emission credits to make up for a shortfall under the target.

To speed up games and save time, NPB said teams will be required to change offensive and defensive sides within two minutes and 15 seconds and the pitcher can spend no longer than 15 seconds throwing a pitch after receiving the ball from the catcher when all bases are empty.

The NPB statement said that the measures would also be a boost for the sport,

• which faces growing competition from faster, more physical sports such as football."...

• ***

7/5, "Mazda to provide green electricity for Japanese pro baseball's 2010 All Star games"

• "- Mazda will support the Nippon Professional Baseball Association’s activities to prevent global warming -" (Note Mazda has done the same in at least two other years, 2008 and 2009 per reports).

"Mazda Motor Corporation will provide electricity generated from renewable sources for two all-star games organized by the Nippon Professional Baseball Association (NPB) in Japan. The first ‘green powered’ 2010 Mazda all-star game will be played at the Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome on July 23. The illumination for the second game, a night game to be held at the Hard Off Eco Stadium Niigata on July 24, will also be powered by green energy sources.

• Eco-friendly ‘green electricity’ will be used for the games under the “Green Power Certification System*.” Mazda will indirectly provide green electricity to illuminate the nighttime all-star 2010 games by

• purchasing a “Green Power Certificate” for 12,000 kilowatt hours. Using green power for the games is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 6.6 metric tons.

Mazda is committed to the pursuit of driving pleasure balanced with environmental and safety performance. As part of this pledge, Mazda is supporting the ‘NPB2010 Green Baseball Project,’ an initiative involving Japan’s 12 professional baseball teams that

• is intended to help prevent global warming.

* * The Green Power Certificate System is a way for companies and other organizations to use electricity generated from renewable energy sources as part of their activities to prevent global warming. Green Power Certificates, which represent the environmental value of the green electricity,

• can be traded separately from the energy produced.

By using these certificates, organizations can benefit the environment and contribute to the increase of renewable energy generation."

• via Tom Nelson, "We're Saved!: Maker of fossil-fueled cars buys certificate that would be worth about 70 cants on the Chicago Climate Exchange"

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