Comments on: 10 trees for $6, or some thoughts on carbon neutrality

By: Guy Lane

Guy Lane — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 15:08:24 +0000

The scepticism about rouge used carbon salesmen is appropriate. However, it is clear that quality carbon offsets can be beneficial to the planet particularly if the offsets are for greenhouse emissions that have no optional greenhouse reduction strategy. A case in point is air travel. If you do travel by air then it is appropriate to offset the emissions. For this reason Uncook carbon offset have been designed as a quality product with highly additional projects administered through the respected Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme. See http://www.uncook.com for more information.

By: virginia

virginia — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 09:10:29 +0000

A wonderful old tree has just been cut down on a roundabout near the British Embassy High Commission in the suburb of cantonments in Accra-centuries old, it stood in the middle of the roundabout and provided both beauty and shade.

Can any one give use any information on this tree? We are a group of artists considering holding a tree funeral on the site in the near future, to publicize the indiscriminate cutting down of trees in Accra’s suburbs.

We require any information you consider useful asap and would be highly grateful,

Foundation Contemporary Art

Accra

Ghana

By: Shawn Henry

Shawn Henry — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 06:49:30 +0000

This gotta solve out.A way has to be found.You cant just say that we are not going to find a practical way is not the right thing to say.belive that nothing is impossible in this world if we have the will power.Planting trees should be promoted in a big way. It pays in the long run. Trees are the only things that can save the world now and sustain life. I came across this site. Just wanted to share it. It’s on an organization that is dedicated to planting trees along Houston’s streets and freeways. I got the link from this site. It’s a sure Check for all you people http://www.dickweekley.com/affiliations.html

By: Alan

Alan — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 13:57:36 +0000

Great thoughts by all. But let’s not overlook the different kinds of carbon. We can be “carbon neutral” burning wood, for example, as long as trees are being replaced at the same rate they are being burned. But we cannot be truly “carbon neutral” burning fossil fuels like oil because we cannot replace them in the same form and location. Any carbon released from under the earth’s surface, like by burning gasoline, adds to the carbon in play in our environment. This carbon becomes essentially a permanent and perpetual problem- unless we ever find a practical way to stuff it back under the earth, which is not going to happen any day soon.

By: Hoplit {blog}

Hoplit {blog} — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 20:56:42 +0000

British Airways Page On How To Offset The CO2 Output of Flying With Them

Suprising. (via: my heart’s in accra)…

By: TerraPass_Tom

TerraPass_Tom — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 16:34:30 +0000

Some really good thoughts here on issues we struggle with everyday (how can we price this so we can sustain ourselves and do some good, raise awareness, etc).

On the issue of trees, most climate scientists view deforestation as a cause of climate change, not a solution. The reality is we have about 10 years to dramatically change the way we produce energy — buyers of carbon offsets should be looking for clean energy in their projects (IMHO).

Finally, if readers want more info, there is a great and long article at Salon that is highly informative and balanced:

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/05/26/offsets/

(behind ad-wall)

Disclosure: I run TerraPass

By: Rebecca's Pocket

Rebecca's Pocket — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 12:29:14 +0000

Frugal Carbon Neutral Strategies for Travellers

Ethan Zuckerman on finding frugal carbon-neutral strategies for cost-conscious jet-setters. This is way cheaper than I thought it would be, even going through the spendy outlets. I intend to work this into my travel budgets. (via rw)…

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 18:42:41 +0000

I remember one example from my econ 101 class (not counting the story about the prof who left his college a legacy on condition he was embalmed, seated in a glass case, and wheeled into department board meetings) — that it’s cheaper to grow tomatoes in California, process them in Toronto and ship them to Guyamas than to make salsa locally in Mexico. It may no longer be current, but the pint it illustrated is, that shipping and travel are underpriced, in part because we don’t factor in environmental costs.

So if some of these folks can sell this idea, that environmental costs exist, maybe the effort has value, and there’s some legitimacy to adding a cover charge for it. I’d rather plant trees myself, maybe hemlocks or blue spruce or resistant chestnuts or butternuts. I might need to get a border collie to keep the deer from eating the saplings, too… and something to keep the woody edelgids from eating them.

By: Sven Cahling

Sven Cahling — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 20:17:35 +0000

Ethan,
Not an expert, but I wrote an article last year about TerraPass and other places offering carbon offsets. I interviewed people at Climate Action Network in Brussels, and I remember them saying that planting trees is not efficient enough. Sure, trees eat co2, but it is better to reduce the original emissions (by, for example, supporting wind power or buying and retiring carbon credits).
Good luck
Sven Cahling
Sweden

By: Pablo H.

Pablo H. — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 19:01:45 +0000

If you are flying British Airways, you can do it at the time of your bill apparently:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/climateimpact/public/en_us