It's hard to deny the world is in an environmental crisis. Just confronting all the issues is more than most or us can deal with. When we look at all the environmental concerns it's hard to imagine that our individual efforts could make any difference. We would like to suggest otherwise.
The only long-term solution to climate change is to reduce carbon emissions, not simply compensate with carbon offsets.
Everyday we all make choices about how we live our lives; what we buy, how we consume, what we support. These cumulative individual choices do have impact. That impact is something we all have control over. Each one of us has the power to contribute in countless ways if we choose to.
When we band together and make changes, things get better.
Here are a few simple changes we can make.
Change your lightbulbs: One of the simplest things we can do to reduce our power consumption is to switch over to compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL). A typical CFL costs three to five times as much as a conventional incandescent bulb but uses only about one-quarter of the electricity and last several years longer.
Rethink your commute: Transportation accounts for over 30% of the CO² emissions in the U.S. The ever increasing price of fuel is forcing more people to take a serious look at their driving habits. The U.S. is a car society. We use our cars and trucks to represent how we see ourselves to the world.
As fuel prices continue to rise the public is becoming more aware of their options. Public transportation and carpooling are becoming more popular. Working from home, if your work allows, is the best option.
Have an energy audit done on your home: Most utility companies will either do this for free of charge or provide you with a guide to do it yourself. Most families can reduce their CO² emissions by 1000lbs. a year with some simple fix-ups.
Open the windows: Most of the 25 tons of CO² the average American produces comes from the home. Here are some easy ways to reduce that number:
- Open a window instead of running the AC. Turn the thermostat up a couple of degrees warmer in the summer and a couple of degrees cooler in the winter.
- Caulk and weatherstrip your windows and doors. If your budget allows you might consider replacing your windows with newer, more efficient units.
- Only run the dishwasher when its full.
- Install low-flow shower heads.
- Wash your clothes in cold water.
- If its appropriate for your neighborhood, put up a clothesline and dry your clothes outside.
- Wrap your water heater in an insulated jacket and check the heat setting. Turning the temperature down from 140° to 120° won't make much difference in the shower but it'll reduce your power consumption.
After you've reduced your carbon emissions as much as possible we'll show you how to you can offset the rest of your emissions with tropical hardwood trees.
The wonderful thing about our offsetting system is that you own the trees and reap the profit as they're harvested.
There’s no doubt that the voluntary carbon offset business is full of controversy.
There are a number of organizations that are working hard at developing standards for the voluntary carbon offset market.
We’re looking forward to widely accepted standards.
I’ll acknowledge the issues that are dogging the offset retail business, then I’ll explain why we’re different.
Education: Some offset providers teach people to reduce their “carbon footprint” before they offset the rest, unfortunately some others only seem interested in selling as many “offsets” as possible.
Additionality: Would the project have happened without the offset dollars? We’ve all heard stories about offset dollars going to projects that were also funded by some grants, or offset dollars going to a methane capture project that the rancher admits he was going to build anyway. Additionality is one of the toughest issues for offset providers to overcome.
Leakage: If we stop a logger from cutting trees on one property, won’t he just go cut trees somewhere else? Emission reductions in one area or project must not drive up emissions in another area.
Double-Counting: How can an offset retailer prove that they’re not selling the same reductions to numerous clients?
Verification: How does the offset purchaser know For Sure that their dollars are going to the projects promoted by the offset retailer, and how does the retailer know For Sure that the project is reducing or sequestering greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. One of the worst stories I’ve heard recently is about an offset retailer that was buying tree saplings with its clients offset dollars, then giving the saplings away at county fairs and community social events. I don’t doubt that some of these trees were planted, will grow and sequester carbon. Unfortunately I’m sure some of these trees weren’t so lucky. Verification is a huge issue.
Permanence: Is the carbon permanently reduced or locked away? This is one of the big arguments that some people have with forestry projects. ‘What if there’s a forest fire?’; ‘What if a storm knocks the trees down?’; ‘What if the trees aren’t cared for and they die?’; ‘When the tree dies it releases its carbon back into the atmosphere.’
These are all excellent issues that can be addressed with good management.
I don’t doubt that most offset retailers are honestly trying to benefit the environment. The problem is that in their rush to capitalize on an emerging market they haven’t thought their programs through.
We believe that the single biggest obstacle to engaging the public in financing carbon reductions is the fact that they see offset purchases as donations.
Many people want to help but feel they can’t afford it. Our system is based on profitable reforestation. In addition to addressing the concerns mentioned above, we’ve developed a system where our clients earn a considerable profit from the practice of offsetting their carbon emissions.
I’ll go through the list again to show you how we work.
Education: Education always precedes change. Our website features articles and links to the latest news and techniques regarding reducing our carbon footprints. Offsetting without making a conscious effort to reduce our emissions isn’t helping the situation. Obviously this is one of the biggest issues opponents to offsetting have.
Additionality: Our reforestation projects only happen with the money from our clients. There is no way we could plant thousands (hopefully millions) of trees with our own funds. We have no access to grants or other funds.
Leakage: Our projects aren’t based on stopping deforestation, we’re reforesting land that was cleared decades ago. Our projects are designed to employ workers that might otherwise cut trees to sustain their families.
Double-Counting: The Costa Rican Government requires all tree plantations owners to keep very detailed records of all the trees they plant. All of the trees we plant are assigned to individual owners. We don’t sell additional offsets to fund our projects.
Verification: All of our plantations are audited quarterly by a Forestry Engineer that is licensed by the Costa Rican government. All of our clients receive a certificate of ownership that specifies exactly where their trees are. Even though encouraging air travel may seem contrary to the mission of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we recommend that our clients come see our plantations. They can see that their trees match the exact location noted on their ownership certificates.
Permanence: When trees are grown on a well managed plantation most of the issues of permanence are reduced or eliminated. Employees living on the plantations keep a watchful eye on the land. 160 inches of rain per year minimize the chance of fire considerably.
Thankfully, when it comes to storms, the tropics do not have as severe weather as farther from the equator. (Planting on the coast might not be the smartest thing, however.) Since our intent is to grow the most valuable trees possible, they are constantly cared for. It’s true that if a fallen tree is left to decompose in the forest it releases most of its carbon back into the atmosphere.
When a tree is harvested and processed into lumber or furniture, its carbon is permanently “locked up” in the wood.
We believe that most of the concerns surrounding offsetting carbon come from context.
Are people purchasing offsets (noun) that they hope will make a difference or are they offsetting (verb) with a system that they know for sure is sequestering carbon, replanting rainforest, increasing biodiversity and providing opportunities for workers in developing nations?
The only way to achieve the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that are needed to stabilize our planets climate is to teach people that their actions are having an impact.
Individuals and businesses are learning that reducing their impact actually saves them money, through more efficient use of energy and resources.
We’re teaching them that they can actually earn a significant profit from offsetting the remainder of their emissions.