How Did You Spend Your Economic Stimulus
By Matt on May 12, 2008
How did you spend your George Bush economic stimulus package?
I found the most amazing website today howispentmystimulus.com. People put up a picture or video of themselves and it should show what they did with the money.
I spent an hour or so mesmerized as I read the whole website and learned a few things. Some people saved the money, paid down debt, 3 people gave it to Obama, A LOT of people went out drinking, one person made a microloan, and 2 people bought marijuana.
What wasn’t there?? There no one purchased carbon offsets, not one person. This is an interesting commentary on market penetration of carbon offsets. This might be a great lesson for all the carbon offset providers on how the public spends “free” money. People might be thinking about green issues and carbon offsetting but it isn’t the first thing they think of with “free” money.
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Want To Work For Environmental Resources Trust
By Matt on May 9, 2008
The Environmental Resources Trust (ERT) is a leader in the field of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trading and operates the GHG Registry®. The GHG Registry (www.ecoregistry.org) is the largest online registry in the U.S. voluntary and pre-compliance carbon markets in terms of tradable verified emissions reductions (VERs). The GHG Registry helps project developers transform emission reductions into fungible, tradable offsets through provision of expert carbon advisory services including protocol design, validation, verification and registration, and assists buyers in the selection and purchase of high quality offsets.
The Environmental Resource Trust is looking for three positions; Senior Verifier, Knowledge Manager, Corporate Climate Specialist. The Senior Verifier and Knowledge Manager are both based out of Arlington Virginia but the Climate Specialist can work anywhere. Read the rest of this entry »
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Who Has the Best Carbon Offset Flight Calculator
By Matt on May 7, 2008
There are a ton of carbon offset providers, most of them have calculators for different things; home, car, events or flight. Who has the best flight calculator? The answer maybe TerraPass.
TRX, a global technology company, just got a prestigious compliment from the Stockholm Environmental Institute (STI). STI said the TRX has the best air travel carbon offset calculator.
TerraPass has announced that starting in mid May that they have a three month exclusive deal with TRX to feature their calculator.
STI looked at four points in deciding who has the best carbon offset calculator:
- Provides the most in-depth information about the data sources and metrics used
- Offers extensive data sets and accounts for the largest number of parameters
- Updates the data sets regularly
- Distinguishes between different carriers, enabling travelers to choose the most efficient carrier ahead of time
You can go HERE to TRX website and check the flight calculator out before TerraPass launches it.
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Climate Trust To Manage Colorado’s Offset Program
By Matt on May 7, 2008
In February Colorado announced that they were looking for an outside organization to manage their state run carbon offset program. Today they announced that the non-profit Climate Trust will manage the program.
“GEO selected The Climate Trust to design its Colorado Carbon Fund and engage individuals, businesses, and government agencies in purchasing Colorado-based, verifiable carbon offsets that will reduce their carbon footprint,” said Tom Plant, GEO Director. “Carbon offsets are a part of a three step process for consumers to engage in a sustainable energy lifestyle. First is measurement of emissions; second is reduction of emissions through efficiency and renewable energy; third is offset of the remaining emissions through the Colorado Carbon Fund. Taken as a package, the Colorado Carbon Fund’s voluntary carbon offsets will help us to meet our greenhouse gas emissions goals from the state’s Climate Action Plan.”
Climate Trust will work with the Colorado’s staff to find funding opportunities for in-state offset projects, develop web-based carbon calculators, and create an offset tracking and retirement system.
Here is the interesting thing; residents that offset more then 50% of their cars emissions qualify for a special carbon offset license plate. The plate will be called “Carbon Neutral Colorado.”
You can read the Press Release here
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New Study Shows Florida Could Make Millions on Carbon Offsets
By Matt on May 2, 2008
A new study performed by the University of Florida showed that farmers and foresters in Florida could make $465 million dollars.
Most of that $465 million dollars would come from carbon offsets , a small percent of that could come from biofuels and solar power. The reason Florida could profit so highly is because of the year round growing season and most of it’s electric power comes from coal. Electricity from coal produces a large amount of carbon dioxide.
The research study was performed by the University of Florida with $75,000 from Environmental Defense.
Some highlights:
You can find a full copy of the report here
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Green Exchange Announces Its Trading Volume For the First Week
By Matt on April 29, 2008
New York, N.Y., April 28, 2008 – The Green Exchange™ today announces opening week volume for the first ever exchange-traded options contracts for carbon offsets. During the April 21-25 trade week, counterparties transacted 1,150 certified emissions reduction (CER) options contracts. One contract is the equivalent of 1,000 CERs (or 1,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent reductions), making the first week volume total for the CER Option contract 1.15 million tonnes.
Read the rest of this entry »
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Prevented: 135 Million Tons of Carbon
By Matt on April 23, 2008
OSLO (AFP) — Projects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in developing countries have prevented 135 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from entering Earth’s atmosphere so far, the Norwegian classification group Det Norske Veritas (DNV) said on Monday.The projects, known as Clean Development Mechanisms (CDMs) and defined in the Kyoto Protocol, allow industrialised countries and their companies to finance projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gases in developing countries.
In return the investors are credited with emission rights.
The 1,000th project has just been certified in India, said Det Norske Veritas, one of the world’s leading classification agencies.
“CDM projects have so far generated more than 135 million certified emission reductions (CERs, each unit of which is equivalent to one tonne of CO2),” it said.
“The mechanism is currently anticipated to generate more than 2.7 billion CERs in the Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period” that runs from 2008 to 2012, it added.
“There’s always a chance that mistakes are made. But the criteria have been gradually tightened. It’s typically a case of learning by doing,” Det Norske Veritas’s global director of climate change services Luc Larmuseau told AFP
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Port Authority of NY & NJ Carbon Offseting
By Matt on April 22, 2008
There was a very interesting article in the NY times yesterday. The Port Authority of NY & NJ wants to start selling carbon offsets via their website. They are currently soliciting a for partners so no details are available until a partner is found. According to the New York Times article the Port Authority of NY & NJ will not make any profit on the offsets.
I looked at their website but I could not find any details on this or any bid information. If you find any let me know, I would love to post them.
What might be an interesting twist, if they would add a small service fee to your EZ Pass and every time you use a bridge or pay a toll you buy an offset.
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Republicans Openning Investigation Into Carbon Offsets
By Matt on April 21, 2008
On April 17th U.S. Reps. Joe Barton, R-Texas, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and John Shimkus, R-Ill., ranking member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee sent a letter to Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., and U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich requesting an investigation in carbon offsets.
The letter highlighted concerns over a Wall Street Journalarticle that discussed that UN carbon offsets have issues with additionally.
You can read the letter and the article here
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TerraPass Upgrades Carbon Calculator
By Matt on April 16, 2008
TerraPass has revamped their carbon offset calculator and added some really interesting features. The first thing they did was change the look of the calculator, now it looks very sleek and web 2.0.
When you use the calculator for home use they have another interesting feature. You first put your zip code in and it tells you the average use of utilities for that area. Usually the calculator tells you the average use of the country or state, but not the city.
One of the coolest new features I have been unable to try out. The new car calculator has the option for alternative fuels. From biodiesel blends to flex fuel ethanol or even CNG (compressed natural gas), almost every new alternative fuel vehicle on the market is now part of the calculator. Another new feature is that calculator results can be translated into CO2 per mile so that people can effectively compare the carbon emissions between modes of transport and between fuel types.
Check out the calculator for yourself here
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