March Madness starts today, so it’s time to get those last minute brackets in. (I’m playing in an office pool and a journalist pool, as well as on ESPN.com, Facebook, and John McCain’s website. I really hope I win that last one.) If you don’t have any idea which schools are good, you can always vote your principles. You’ll find all the info you need on greenbrackets.com, where an effort called the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment has identified the greenest schools in the tournament. Top seeds UNC, Kansas, and UCLA make the list, as well as long shots George Mason, Portland State, and University of Maryland-Baltimore County (aka UMBC, the school name that sounds most like an investment bank). In all, 23 of the tournament’s 64 teams are on the list.
According to the website, going green is good for your March Madness karma. Green schools have won four of the last five tournaments and have made up 50 percent of the Final Four over the last 10 years. So go win your office pool on the backs of environmentally friendly hoops.
By the way, a school is designated a green school if they sign onto this pledge. It could be stronger, but it’s a start.
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