power "somewhere" or otherwise reducing carbon -- the idea being that the initial start-up companies that use wind, water, solar... are very expensive and that if people throughout the nation can donate to those projects then the cost will drop and availability will increase so that we can all run on clean energy. The offset projects also provide good models for how a variety of industries can reduce their carbon footprint.
The article in my original reply has more about offsets, including specifics on TerraPass and CarbonFund.org projects that are funded with the money donated:
TerraPassSince its creation in late 2004, this for-profit company has sold offsets to 15,000 people from its headquarters in the San Francisco area, offsetting more than 72,575 metric tons.
Cost per metric ton of CO2: $8 to $11; for the frequent flyer, $1,500 will offset a million miles of flying (a half-million pounds of CO2), and the company will even throw in a folding bike.
How much of your dollar goes to projects? As a for-profit, it doesn't disclose this information.
Type of projects: Clean energy via wind farms and biodiesel, biomass via methane capture on dairy farms, and waste management and industrial efficiency. The portfolio breaks down into one-third wind energy RECs, two-thirds biomass (cow power) and energy efficiency via purchasing and retiring credits from the Chicago Climate Exchange.
Beyond carbon, what do the projects do for communities? Create renewable energy through wind farms; prevent methane, a greenhouse gas 22 times more potent than CO2, from entering the atmosphere; encourage further efficiency and carbon dioxide reductions by participating companies.
Are they in it for the long haul? Projects are owner-managed, and the economics are broken down into an "ecosystem" of brokers, consumers, and retailers, rather than a traditional nonprofit model. "We're changing something that used to be a cost burden into a profit opportunity," says chief environmental officer Tom Arnold. "What kind of ecosystem do you want to build? As big as possible." With a business model like that, as long as there's profit, there's commitment.
How the calculator works: For driving, TerraPass estimates the CO2 a car emits annually, based on mileage and vehicle type, relying on data from the EPA and the World Resources Institute. For flying, it uses WRI protocols to calculate emissions based on distance traveled and type of trip (short-, medium-, or long-haul). TerraPass directs you to choose your exact make, model, and year of car and your number of miles driven annually. From there, it tells you your city and freeway mpg and gallons of gas consumed per year, which is interesting, and your corresponding carbon emitted. However, it only offers set "TerraPasses" for certain amounts of carbon, so it rounds you up -- sometimes quite significantly -- to the next level. With flights, the same benefits and problems emerge. You can enter your departure and destination cities and it will calculate your miles flown and carbon burned, unlike many other sites that expect you to know your miles. But the TerraPass it offered me was nearly double the carbon I'd released.
Certification: 33 percent of a TerraPass purchase consists of Green-e certified renewable-energy credits (RECs). 100 percent of TerraPass purchases are verified by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions, which does a marketing responsibility review, among other things.
Partners in clime: Ford has purchased offsets to mitigate emissions from the manufacturing of its hybrid fleet and has produced a co-branded site with TerraPass for Ford owners.
Carbonfund.orgDuring the three years it's been in operation, this Maryland-based nonprofit has sold offsets to more than 5,000 customers, including 30 companies and 15 nonprofits. Total offset: 92,000 metric tons.
Cost per metric ton of CO2: $5.50, but if you are willing to "go zero carbon," you can get that ton for the low, low price of $4.30, via a partnership with Working Assets, which kicks in the extra $1.20.
How much of your dollar goes to projects? 93 percent goes to climate-change education, offsets, and outreach.
Type of projects: Renewable energy, such as solar for a housing project in Chicago and a veterinary center in Bishop Ranch, Calif.; wind farms and a landfill methane-capture project in the Midwest; and a cow-manure methane generator that powers a desalination plant, providing water for thousands in the Inland Empire, Calif. Reforestation of habitat in Montana, Arkansas, California, and India damaged by insects or fire. Energy efficiency by purchasing and retiring credits from the Chicago Climate Exchange. (Energy efficiency projects supported through CCX might include improving industrial, transportation, or residential technology through building or factory upgrades or changing fuel from coal to natural gas.)
Beyond carbon, what do the projects do for communities? Renewable-energy projects reduce the cost of living for low-income families, improve the economy and add jobs, reduce manure problems, and provide clean drinking water. "By supporting renewables, you're helping to drive the cost of renewables down below coal," says Executive Director Eric Carlson. "We think a huge sea change will happen once we do that." Reforestation projects provide food and habitat for wildlife, protect rivers and streams, add beauty to the landscape, and stabilize soil and threatened watersheds, including habitat for threatened fish.
Are they in it for the long haul? "We want to make it as easy and affordable for anyone to reduce their carbon footprint as possible," Carlson says. "If the offsets are certified, then price is an important secondary concern because this is about engaging millions of people in the process. For us it's important that the offsets occur close to the time that the purchase occurs." To make sure reforestation projects are viable, the organization plants 25 percent more trees than they are obligated to plant.
How the calculator works: Data from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration and other sources is used to gauge CO2 emissions for driving and flying. The figure for flying is based on short-haul flights, which are more fuel-intensive, rather than the three-tier model. Carlson said other calculators might need to be adjusted upward, as there is a growing school of thought that, because planes burn their fuel at 30,000 feet where the atmosphere is thinner, they do more harm than what is quantified on any of the current carbon calculators.
Certification: Wind-energy commitments are Green-e certified RECs, except where noted on the website; most other renewable-energy commitments are certified by the Environmental Resources Trust. Energy-efficiency credits through the Chicago Climate Exchange are verified by that body and the National Association of Securities Dealers. Carbonfund is also considering efficiency projects certified by ERT. Reforestation projects are not certified but are audited by ERT.
Eyebrow-raising moment: Addressing a project in Arkansas, the website says, "The new trees will be resistant to the borer and be able to produce acorns much faster than ordinary oak trees." It kind of sounded like these new trees were genetically modified, so I asked Carlson. He said he didn't know, but that the projects are managed by "reputable" groups -- the National Arbor Day Foundation and American Forests. Toby Janson-Smith, director of Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Alliance, said, "Yes, the term 'ordinary oak trees' does beget the question, what makes the new trees 'non-ordinary'?"
Partners in clime: The Goldman Environmental Prize partnered with Carbonfund to go carbon neutral for its 2006 awards.
On Your Mark, Offset, Go!http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/10/10/gies /
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