Serious or spoof?

From this article:

TOKYO (AFP) — Japanese professional baseball players have vowed to shorten playing time per game as part of the national pastime's contribution to the fight against global warming.

They will aim to cut playing time by six percent, or 12 minutes, from the average of three hours and 18 minutes per game, the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) commissioners' office said.

"When a professional baseball game is staged, a huge amount of carbon dioxides, a cause of global warming, is discharged because it requires use of energy to move players and spectators, supply electricity for lighting and other purposes and dispose of food and drink waste," NPB said in a statement.

The pledge to cut playing time was set in accordance with Japan's promise to cut its emissions of greenhouse gases by six percent from 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012 under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
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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.