(East Rutherford, NJ residents are hopeful there will be fewer gas emissions from Nenad Krstic this season)
Save your New Jersey is really polluted jokes for someone who didn’t grow up breathing the air. We’re making a difference. From Stephen Del Percio, who is kind of a big deal when it comes to these things, comes a story about the New Jersey Nets looking to go all the way green. This isn’t, say, the Patriots deciding to purchase renewable energy to power Gillette Stadium; the Nets want to reach a level of green-ness that, in the NBA, is currently matched only by the Blazers’ Taurean Green. This is Jim Wright in The Record, my parents’ hometown paper:
The East Rutherford-based team’s plans range from evaluating the carbon-dioxide emissions generated by flights to away games to buying non-polluting cleaning supplies.
Although several other pro basketball teams have announced plans to reduce their environmental impact, the Nets say their goal is to become the first NBA franchise to become “carbon-neutral” — by offsetting all their greenhouse-gas emissions with measures that improve the environment.
“Every day you read in the paper about global warming and environmental problems,” said Nets spokesman Barry Baum. “We just felt that we had a responsibility as a franchise to take action as soon as possible.”
Beginning with tonight’s home game against the Orlando Magic, the Nets will hold six “green nights” at the Izod Center to publicize their environmental efforts and show fans what they can do to help…
Other front-office initiatives include improving energy efficiency, recycling and water consumption, as well as establishing green purchasing policies for office supplies.
“This is another way for the Nets to beat the Knicks this year,” said Doug O’Malley of Environment NJ, a non-profit advocacy group.
Doug O’Malley, ladies and gentlemen! Obviously Doug doesn’t know how much energy Zach Randolph saves simply by not trying very hard.