NHLPA Goes Green

I have to admit that I am green-obsessed and was happy to hear that the NHL Players’ Association was getting on board to do their part in helping the environment.  They are getting a little help from David Suzuki, though.  I swear, that man’s voice is in my head all day every day so I think it’s a good partnership.

The players have agreed to become more eco-friendly at home and at work through the NHLPA Carbon Neutral Challenge.  The initiative "involves players purchasing clean-air credits to compensate for the extra carbon produced by their extensive travels — a concept known as carbon offsets.  All the money they raise will help fund three clean-air projects around the world through Montreal-based not-for-profit Planetair."

More after the jump!

"It’s unbelievable how guys pick up on it and know something is important," said Boston Bruins defenceman Andrew Ference. "Hockey is filled with a lot of great character and guys are showing it by stepping up and doing the right thing.

"It’s all about taking initiative and we have a lot of guys who are really good at doing that."

More than 350 players — including everyone on the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars — have already signed up to contribute $290 annually and hundreds more are expected to join in the coming weeks.

The amount is based on a clean-air credit cost of $29 per ton and research that says each NHL player contributes 10 tons of carbon emissions per season.

It’s a small amount so I hope everyone gets involved.  It’s really not that big of a sacrifice but the attention their efforts will bring to the cause could be priceless.

"Environmentalists would kill to get this type of attention," he joked as he pointed to a line of cameras. "Let’s face it, an old crusty guy like me, an environmentalist, who the hell is going to listen to me? But these guys connect directly with our youth and it’s all about the future."

Ference, who helped spearheaded the initiative, said he was inspired by a meeting last year with Suzuki.

"I remember David saying to me that, if Wayne Gretzky was just starting his minor hockey career today, his father wouldn’t be able to build the outdoor rink like he once did because the climate has changed so much," said Ference, who drives a hybrid car and has switched his house to wind power. "That really stuck with me."

Andrew Ference was formerly on the Calgary Flames and he did a lot in the community here so I’m not at all surprised by his involvement.

via CBC Sports