February 6, 2008 – 11:31 am
It seems like an oxymoron: a green credit card. The more you buy, the more carbon you can offset. But that’s what set to happen now in the U.S. with the roll-out of a number of ‘green’ cards promising to offset a percentage of every dollar you spend.
Does that mean buying a Hummer on credit is a good thing for the earth? Or doing all your holiday shopping on plastic is a positive step towards stopping global warming? Eco-hip people already know that leaving the credit card at home, is the best thing for the earth.
Handing over real cash is harder, making people less likely to indulge in spontaneous purchasing. But shopping on credit is big business for the banks. According to a recent story we read in the WSJ, green cards are the newest way banks are appealing to their customers. Read More »
February 1, 2008 – 5:00 am
Before the Euro was introduced almost 10 years ago, European travelers and businesspeople alike were stuck with pockets and plastic baggies full of change. There were two kinds of francs, kroners, lire, guilders … each with their own fluctuating value.
We found all that switching back and forth as we crossed borders, not only confusing, but totally wasteful in terms of energy spent exchanging money and trying to figure out the value of something. If a CD in Switzerland cost 20 Swiss francs, and the same CD in France cost 140 francs, which was the better deal?
Thankfully, the powers that be decided to create a unit of currency, the Euro, so that an apple in Spain will cost about the same as an apple in Holland. The ultimate aim was that people could trade, work and shop between borders more fluidly.
When it comes to calculating the “value” of a greenhouse gas offset, the decision makers – economists and scientists – needed a sort of “Euro.” But in the case of greenhouse gases, it would be extra complicated to find a common currency, because comparing methane gas to carbon dioxide, isn’t like comparing apples to oranges. Read More »
January 28, 2008 – 6:09 am
We’ve all seen Al Gore’s film on climate change, right? We talk about global warming, as though we’re part of a UN committee on climate change. We even find ourselves lecturing about the hazards of greenhouse gases, without really remembering all of their names.
(Confess, it’s happened to you, right?)
Knowing your gases, can put you in the know when discussing the impact of each gas on climate change. But knowing your greenhouse gases can also help you immensely when selecting a carbon offset provider. Read More »
January 25, 2008 – 7:49 am
Dreamers, visionaries or sharp business people? Carbon Catablog embarks on its second in a series of interviews with not-for-profit carbon offset providers.
Last week we interviewed Russell Simon from Carbonfund USA, who explained, “We’re a nonprofit because what we do is very clearly a public good.” With 93% of Carbonfund’s revenues going straight to its projects, and with accounting books wide open, Russell posed some good arguments for the non-profit designation. But tax benefits are restricted to U.S. residents.
Now over to the U.K. with Phil Wolski, the fundraising head at PURE. One of 6 UK-based non profit providers, their website’s slogan reads, “PURE is committed to meeting the proposed new UK Government standards for carbon offsetting.” Wolski offers some valuable information on PURE, and we especially like their scheme of connecting people to offsets through payroll giving. Please note, we’ve edited his answers, but more detail can be found on PURE’s website.
 Put on your smoking jacket and pull our your pipe, let’s find out a little more about PURE’s Trustees, Her Majesty’s contribution to making the world carbon neutral, and how PURE is sequestering carbon from folks in the U.K.
Carbon Catablog: As a non-profit, what tax advantages can you bring to individuals and businesses which purchase offsets through you? Please also clarify any restrictions.
Phil Wolski: PURE the Clean Planet Trust is both ‘not for profit’ and a UK registered charity. It is only the latter status that offers tax benefits. There are obviously ‘not for profit’ organisations that are not charities, hence they can offer no tax advantages (although they may have lower than usual expenses).
Although PURE does (but rarely) get donations from overseas, it is a UK focused organisation. This tax benefit explanation hence applies only to UK taxpayers. Read More »
January 22, 2008 – 11:04 am
 So the Fed came out with guns ablazing, slashing interest rates by 0.75%.
But the markets are yet to find solace. They’re still choking on a toxic cocktail of foreclosures, inflation, oil prices and the credit crunch. Michael Metz, chief investment strategist at Oppenheimer, is not among the optimists. He thinks the US is facing the worst recession since World War II.
It’s tempting to think that a US recession will be good for the environment. Read More »
January 18, 2008 – 2:08 am
 Dreamers, visionaries or sharp business people? Carbon Catablog starts its first in a series on carbon offset providers, who neutralize the carbon of businesses and individuals in the not-for-profit way.
Through this series we’re hoping to make some sense of the voluntary offset market, so our readers can make more informed choices on where and how to offset. While non-profit organizations by law, must make their dealings transparent (i.e. how much offset money goes straight into the pockets of the projects), the market asks if in the long-run, this model can compete with the for profit sector.
We are asking the same question, and have touched lightly on the subject here (To Profit or Not To Profit). With so many questions unanswered, we go to the experts – the organizations who have opted to carry the non-profit status. And we plan on presenting interviews from for-profit providers too.
 Today’s featured guest is Russell Simon, the communications manager from the USA-based Carbonfund.org. The organization’s motto is, “Reduce what you can, Offset what you can’t.”
Carbon Catablog: As a non-profit, what tax advantages can you bring to individuals, and businesses which purchase offsets through you? Please also clarify any restrictions.
Russell Simon: All donations to Carbonfund.org are tax-deductible, meaning that offsetting your carbon footprint is that much more affordable with us as opposed to a for-profit company. But yes, you do have to be a U.S. resident. We can’t speak for the tax codes in other countries.
Read More »
January 16, 2008 – 10:16 am
 On January 8th, America’s Federal Trade Commission held a workshop on carbon offsets. This echoed UK government consultations earlier this year on creating a Code of Best Practice for the offsetting industry.
The workshop in Washington DC focused on consumer protection. In other words: How can offset buyers ensure they aren’t being deceived? Read More »
January 7, 2008 – 10:52 am
 I recently spent a few weeks in California’s endemic car culture, and it got me thinking about oil supply and climate change. America seems to depend on cars in a much more extreme way than Europe or Asia. But all over the world - including China with its 1.3 billion people - economies are being built on a steady and growing supply of fuel.
Peak oil refers to the point in history at which oil production begins to drop, due to dwindling supplies. There’s a debate about whether we’re there now, with oil prices pushing $100 per barrel. But it’s a mathematical certainty that peak oil will eventually come around, since there’s only so much of the stuff. Even the biggest toothpaste tube can’t be squeezed forever.
When peak oil happens, and production begins to shrink, expect some nasty consequences. Read More »
January 4, 2008 – 7:00 am
 The organic caterer’s been booked, the dress made from recycled lace has been bought, the email invitations are out. Dreaming of starting off your new life, with that special someone, on the right green foot?
It is estimated that a typical wedding generates 50-60 tons of CO2. And much of that comes from travel – getting your guests to the wedding hall, from whatever far-flung corners of the world they may be living.
Maybe you want to offset the travel of your guests, or the air travel for your honeymoon?
You might be thinking about it, but before you buy offsets, we suggest you check out a number of online green wedding guides. There are factors you can take into consideration before you buy offsets. Green Wedding Guide is a great start, Green Union also has a helpful guide, as does our personal favorite, David Suzuki’s website.
When you are ready to buy, you don’t need to look for a provider that works specifically with weddings. The above guides offer tools to help you calculate your carbon, and from there, you can buy offsets from any one of the providers that we list on our site. We’ve listed providers that allow you to make online purchases. Read More »
January 1, 2008 – 5:40 am
 Coldplay is doing it. So is the Dave Matthews Band, Pink Floyd, UB40 and the Dixie Chicks have done it. The Spice Girls are mum, but we suspect they aren’t doing it. The Rolling Stones did it with all of their fans.
If you’ve reached our address, then you know we could only be talking about one thing: carbon offsetting.
News about bands buying offsets to carbon neutralize their tours and albums, is penetrating the media today, especially in Europe and North America where public relations machines look for every opportunity to give their clients an edge.
Are the capitalists who run the music industry taking advantage of a new trend? We think it’s a good thing that musicians are bringing carbon offsetting to the global consciousness, and are acknowledging that someone has to be responsible for global warming. But who really pays in the end? Read More »
By Karin Kloosterman
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Posted in News
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Tagged Britain, carbon neutral, Carbon Neutral Company, Carbon Neutral Touring, carbon offsetting, Dave Matthews, Dixie Chicks, Future Forest, Jane Siberry, North America, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Spice Girls, UB40, UK
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