My OperaCarbon offsets demystified
By Christisilentlucidity. Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:44:09 AM
Coopamerica
For an offset purchase to be meaningful, the purchase has to cause a new carbon reduction corresponding with the new emissions you caused, rather than taking credit for a reduction that would have happened anyway....
..............
Avoid offsets based on tree-planting projects. Planting trees feels good and projects that plant trees can be easier to love than projects involving something as mundane as cow methane or cement. However, there are much better offset programs than those that involve trees. It's very hard to calculate how much CO2 a given forest will "breathe in." some offset providers base their calculations for a tree planted today on the CO2 it will take in over its entire lifetime, which is decades after the emissions associated with the flight or drive being offset. Bottom line: when it comes to carbon offsets, planting trees is not the best bet. However, planting trees has other environmental benefits, and we encourage tree planting for these reasons.
hmmmm
Do some Math
Green tags from current renewable energy generation. Energy customers who wish to support wind and solar power can already do so by purchasing renewable energy certificates, also known as "RECs," or "green tags." Green tags represent the environmental benefits generated by existing green energy facilities like wind turbines or solar arrays. Consumers without green power options can purchase green tags as a way of supporting renewable energy generation. Or, utility companies that offer their customers green energy options may simply purchase green tags on their behalf from an outside green power facility, rather than building their own.
Because putting more renewable energy into the electric grid will, over time, reduce the energy that GHG-spewing coal plants need to put in, renewable energy also promises to reduce global warming emissions. Therefore, some carbon offset providers sell green tags as carbon offsets. For example carbon counter,offers green tag offsets associated with wind farms in Oregon.
Sustainable development projects. Some providers use offset purchases to fund "clean development" projects in developing countries, which both fight poverty and reduce GHG emissions.My climate(which sells offsets in the US through Sustainable Travel International) has created a small hydraulic power station in Indonesia that will generate clean, reliable energy for a Sumatran community. In Eritrea, they have installed hundreds of solar water heaters for schools.
Farm and landfill methane projects.Native energy,also uses offset purchases to install methane digester's on family farms in Pennsylvania to capture methane, a potent greenhouse gas generated by livestock. "Digester's" use the methane to generate power.
For an offset purchase to be meaningful, the purchase has to cause a new carbon reduction corresponding with the new emissions you caused, rather than taking credit for a reduction that would have happened anyway....
..............
Avoid offsets based on tree-planting projects. Planting trees feels good and projects that plant trees can be easier to love than projects involving something as mundane as cow methane or cement. However, there are much better offset programs than those that involve trees. It's very hard to calculate how much CO2 a given forest will "breathe in." some offset providers base their calculations for a tree planted today on the CO2 it will take in over its entire lifetime, which is decades after the emissions associated with the flight or drive being offset. Bottom line: when it comes to carbon offsets, planting trees is not the best bet. However, planting trees has other environmental benefits, and we encourage tree planting for these reasons.
hmmmm
Do some Math
Green tags from current renewable energy generation. Energy customers who wish to support wind and solar power can already do so by purchasing renewable energy certificates, also known as "RECs," or "green tags." Green tags represent the environmental benefits generated by existing green energy facilities like wind turbines or solar arrays. Consumers without green power options can purchase green tags as a way of supporting renewable energy generation. Or, utility companies that offer their customers green energy options may simply purchase green tags on their behalf from an outside green power facility, rather than building their own.
Because putting more renewable energy into the electric grid will, over time, reduce the energy that GHG-spewing coal plants need to put in, renewable energy also promises to reduce global warming emissions. Therefore, some carbon offset providers sell green tags as carbon offsets. For example carbon counter,offers green tag offsets associated with wind farms in Oregon.
Sustainable development projects. Some providers use offset purchases to fund "clean development" projects in developing countries, which both fight poverty and reduce GHG emissions.My climate(which sells offsets in the US through Sustainable Travel International) has created a small hydraulic power station in Indonesia that will generate clean, reliable energy for a Sumatran community. In Eritrea, they have installed hundreds of solar water heaters for schools.
Farm and landfill methane projects.Native energy,also uses offset purchases to install methane digester's on family farms in Pennsylvania to capture methane, a potent greenhouse gas generated by livestock. "Digester's" use the methane to generate power.
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