DENVER, Colorado, August 24, 2008 (ENS) – As delegates from across the country converge on Denver for the Democratic National Convention opening Monday, most of them are buying offsets to neutralize the carbon dioxide emitted to power their planes, trains and cars.

This Green Delegate Challenge is part of the Democrats’ year-long effort to make their 2008 national convention the most environmentally sustainable convention in the party’s history.

“We’re committed to using practical, common-sense solutions to limit our impact on the environment and make this convention one of the most sustainably produced events of its kind,” said Leah Daughtry, chief executive of the Democratic National Convention Committee.

Convention organizers estimate convention activities like air travel, ground travel, accommodations and waste will produce an average of one ton of the greenhouse gas CO2 per person.

The podium at the Democratic National
Convention (Photo courtesy DNCC)

To offset the climate-warming effect of that ton of carbon dioxide, delegates are purchasing renewable energy from a portfolio of U.S. projects selected by convention organizers and provided by NativeEnergy. They include wind power for a Colorado school district and a landfill gas-to-energy project in Illinois.

The cost of a carbon offset is modest, just $24 for one person flying 2,500 miles to the convention and back home and staying for five nights in a Denver hotel.

Delegations with the highest percentage of members offsetting their carbon emissions will be recognized in their seating section on the convention floor. All the state delegations are participating and about half of them have chalked up 100 percent participation.

For the first time, the carbon footprint of the whole convention is being calculated. Energy-efficiency for reduction of CO2 emissions is the goal, but where carbon emissions are unavoidable, the DNCC will buy NativeEnergy carbon offsets to neutralize them.

When delegates and media arrive at the convention, they will find compact fluorescent, LED and solar powered lighting, and generators fueled by biodiesel. A percentage of the power supplied to convention venues will be generated by wind farms and purchased by the venues through Green-e certified renewable energy credits.

There are many alternatives to gasoline and petroleum diesel for transportation around Denver.

Freewheelin, the nation’s largest bike-sharing program rolled into Denver this afternoon, bringing 1,000 bikes to the Democratic National Convention for free use all week. Developed by health-benefits company Humana and bike-advocacy group Bikes Belong, the Freewheelin program will also bring 1,000 bikes to Minneapolis-St. Paul for the Republican convention during the first week in September.

The Pepsi Center, the Convention Center, the DNCC Headquarters Hotel and the DNCC offices are all located within walking distance of either light rail or the 16th Street mall shuttle, which is run on hybrid buses. Most delegation hotels are also accessible from these public transportation systems.

The buses used to transport delegates and media from all the hotels to the Pepsi Center will be either hybrid, alternative fuel or run on biodiesel. Bus idling will be kept to a minimum to reduce air pollution.

As official vehicle provider, General Motors is offering hybrid, E-85 and high fuel efficiency vehicles for transport during the convention. All DNCC vehicles and bus miles will be tracked and included in the carbon footprint calculations.
C[mg=/UPLOADS/blog/ecommunity_news/blogpost_data/08_08_18/20080824_01_dnccrew.jpg]Crews prepare the convention floor for the
arrival of delegates on Monday. (Photo
courtesy DNCC)[/img]]

Inside the convention center, the DNCC says on its website that “choosing sustainable materials is at the heart of our greening plan.” Sustainable and recyclable service ware, sustainably-harvested wood products, and rented or reused materials are being used to stage the event. Materials used will be measured, tracked and wherever possible, reused or donated to community organizations and schools at the conclusion of the convention, organizers say.

A comprehensive recycling, composting and waste minimization program aims to divert a minimum of 85 percent of all waste from the landfill.

As official recycling provider, Coca-Cola will recover and recycle all paper products, plastic bottles and aluminum cans recovered at all official convention venues. The company will also provide biodegradable bags, liners, and recycling bins for material recovery. Coca-Cola will use energy-efficient coolers and vending machines to supply beverages and will deliver the beverages on hybrid electric delivery trucks.

The environment in and around Denver will benefit from the work of more than 1,000 convention delegates who will volunteer at community service sites on the first-ever Delegate Service Day on August 27, co-chaired by Michelle Obama and Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter.

Graffiti and litter will be cleaned up in downtown Denver and at Stapleton and groups of delegates will restore areas of Cherry Creek State Park, Confluence Park, and Bicentennial Park as well as the historic Curtis Park neighborhood bordering downtown Denver.

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Rackspace, a premier server solution for individuals and businesses seeking top-notch service, has taken measures to offset the carbon emissions from their digital activities. The environmentally-concerned initiatives of Rackspace are collectively called GreenSpace. GreenSpace is working with NativeEnergy, a leading national marketer of renewable energy credits (RECs) and carbon offsets, the IT hosting specialist will be providing support to two new renewable energy projects through the purchasing of carbon offsets.

Rackspace will support two new renewable projects: the Penn England Family Dairy Waste to Energy Project, which will help ramp up a manure digester on a 700 cow dairy farm that displaces onsite fossil fuel use and emissions of methane, and the Farmer Owned Distributed Small Scale Wind Project in Minnesota, which supports the sale and installation of German-designed 40 kW Aeroman wind turbines that are remanufactured and customized for Midwest conditions. There are other initiatives that Rackspace provides funding for, all under the expert guidance of NativeEnergy.

The second prong of the GreenSpace initiative is found in Rackspace’s commitment to helping their customers use their computers more resource efficiently.

For more information on the GreenSpace initiative, please visit www.rackspace.com.

Why is it important for Rackspace to make this commitment to carbon offsetting?

Computers definitely seem like they are good for the environment. They save a lot of paper, they allow the transmission of important documents without any transport cost, they facilitate business meetings from afar and they are relatively compact machines which do not seem to take a great deal of resources to make.

The reality, sadly, is that computers soak up a tremendous amount of electricity when you consider the total amount of computers worldwide and the fact that some computers are never turned off, and others are left on when they are not being used. On average, computers use from 200-1000 watts to operate.

By offsetting carbon emissions, and by helping their customers seek their own energy efficiency methods, GreenSpace is working to change the dynamic of the computer industry towards a more sustainable direction.

WASHINGTON, DC, January 25, 2008 (ENS) – Citing the potential “to manipulate the system,” California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today recommended that the Federal Trade Commission sharpen its guidelines for businesses that sell carbon emission offset credits.

Activities such as driving cars and running power plants produce greenhouse gas emissions which trap heat from the sun, causing global temperatures to rise. Under a carbon offset program, consumers are able to purchase emissions credits – which reflect specific environmental projects that reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gases elsewhere in the environment.

The national market for carbon offset credits is expected to reach $100 million annually within the next four years. Brown said. “Currently, the market for these offsets is volatile, largely unregulated, and has serious potential for fraud.”

A 1 kW thin film photovoltaic
array on a tracking system
and a 17.2 kW system on the
roof offset some of the fossil
fueled power use of the Cambria
Office Building in Pennsylvania.
(Photo by Robb Williamson
courtesy NREL)

The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for ensuring that carbon offset projects are fairly and honestly marketed to consumers. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission requested comments, by January 25, 2008, on the marketing of carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates.

In a letter sent today to the Federal Trade Commission, Attorney General Brown and nine other state attorneys general outlined potential problems with carbon offset markets and offered recommendations to the Federal Trade Commission aimed at protecting consumers.

Other states joining today’s letter include – Vermont, Arkansas, Delaware, Maine, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Illinois, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

“The Federal Trade Commission must set clear guidelines for the sale of carbon offset credits,” Brown said, “As more Americans try to offset their carbon emissions, the danger grows that some individuals will attempt to manipulate the system. Consumers must feel confident that they actually get what they pay for – real carbon reduction offsets.”

The attorneys general recommend that the Federal Trade Commission:

* Conduct research on consumers’ understanding of carbon offsets

* Ensure that offset projects do not double sell credits or claim credits for practices that are already required by law

* Engage in aggressive education and outreach to ensure that consumers understand the nature of carbon offsets and the potential for fraud

The states also called for a clearer definition of what qualifies as a carbon offset.

Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asserts that offset credits can be backed by projects that will go forward regardless of whether emissions credits are sold.

An alternative offset definition would only allow the sale of credits from projects that would not otherwise have gone forward.

The states also demanded that the Federal Trade Commission consider whether renewable energy certificates – proof that energy was generated by a renewable source – should count as a valid offset. The certificates may not qualify as offsets because renewable energy does not always displace traditional energy sources.

The states recommended that the Federal Trade Commission offer consumer tips on its website and place explicit details about offsets – including the name, location and project owner – on all marketing material.

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TreeHugger loves to see the power of pop culture put to good use; not only does it offer a fantastic opportunity to spread our green message to a new, hip demographic, but we can be entertained at the same time. As such, we’ve been happily tracking the progress of the music industry as both up and coming and well-established acts put the planet higher and higher on their lives’ set list, if you will. One of the ways they can have the most positive impact — while still being able to play music and entertain fans — is by greening their tours. Whether it’s biodiesel in the bus or carbon portfolios in their back pockets, more and more bands are going green on tour every day. Here are some of our favorites.

1) Jack Johnson [www.treehugger.com] is one of the originators of the green touring stars
2) Barenaked Ladies [www.treehugger.com] are pumping biodiesel, buying carbon offsets for what they can’t reduce or make more efficient, recycling all the way and ditching disposable plates in favor of the real deal.
3) Before Pearl Jam [www.treehugger.com] announced their Carbon Portfolio Strategy and switched to biodiesel on tour, they were offsetting tour-related emissions and working on the “Vote for Change Renewable Energy Project.”
4) British rockers Gomez [www.treehugger.com] partnered up with Clif Bar’s GreenNotes program to fuel their tour with biodiesel, offset the tour’s CO2 emissions, use recycled paper and soy based inks for printed materials and provide organic cotton merchandise options for its fans.
5) Not to be outdone by the young whippersnappers, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young [www.treehugger.com] racked up 220,000 miles last year on tour; powering them all with biodiesel made them 78% cleaner than before, and they ponied up to be carbon neutral in 2006.
6) MTV’s $2 Bill Tour [www.treehugger.com] from 2006 wasn’t left out of the biofuel fun: the 27-city tour featuring 30 Seconds to Mars was fueled by biodiesel as well.
7) All of this biodiesel is great, but why use internal combustion power when you can just tour by sailboat [www.treehugger.com] as independent musicians Red Hunter, Jana Hunter and Ray Raposa did for a two-week east coast tour of the US.
Both The DittyBops [www.treehugger.com] and musicians Johnny Eden and Derek Olive [www.treehugger.com] are showing bands how to really travel green when there isn’t an ocean or lake in sight: they’re bicycling between tour stops. The DittyBops hit the road around the US; Eden and Olive are are pedaling across Canada from Powell River BC to Petite Riviere, Nova Scotia, a distance of 6,500 kilometers — that’s 4000 miles!

As you can see, there are many musicians making big changes while still cranking out some great tunes; stay tuned for more info on green tunes, including tips for musicians, resources for bands, and other ideas for tuning in and going green.

As noted earlier this week [www.sundancechannel.com], signs of summer’s impending arrival are starting to pop up. Along with chores like mowing your grass, for many of us summer often offers the opportunity to travel and vacation. Before you gas up, buy tickets or book a hotel, we have a few tips and resources to make your travels greener and more eco-friendly.

Because vacation often involves going somewhere else, usually by train, plane or automobile, staying closer to home leaves a lot smaller carbon footprint [www.sundancechannel.com] on your vacation. If your plans call for a road trip or long plane ride, carbon offsets [www.sundancechannel.com] are part of the equation for a cleaner, greener vacation. For ideas and info on where to go, Responsible Travel [www.responsibletravel.com] is a fairly inclusive resource, with tips on just about everything from accommodations to wildlife holidays. Further, sites like EcoTravel.com [www.ecotravel.com], the International Ecotourism Board [www.ecotourism.org] and the Rainforest Web [www.rainforestweb.org] offer different, more boutique-feel version to green travel searching. If trekking through Nepal or paddling the Amazon isn’t your idea of vacation, you can still stay green with the Green Hotels Association [www.greenhotels.com], which features a list of member hotels, related environmental products and more ideas for green travel. Once you’ve picked a place, check in with the Environmentalist’s Travel Guide [blogs.salon.com] for easy tips on greening your vacation on the go; if you want a more interactive forum, log in to the Green Travel Network [groups.yahoo.com] for some practical ideas from folks who’ve made traveling work for them.

If “eco-tourism” — taking a vacation that aims to actively helps the planet through habitat restoration or ecological work — is a part of the plan, it’s important to be a bit wary of where you’re going and what you’re doing. Despite the potential to do enormously good things, the downside of such a vacation is that it brings cars, busses, boats, and foot traffic to the world’s most pristine and untrodden areas. Reading something like the article Ecotourism and Its Impact on Forest Conservation [www.actionbioscience.org], will give you a good a sense of the risks involved: “In Nepal, ecotourists… have stripped the landscape bare of sticks and twigs for fuel and left trash that spoils the experience for future visitors. In the Galapagos… the impact of visitors is manifested by disease, fire, and theft, has altered the natural balance of the island ecosystems.” The Sierra Club, in the report Is Ecotourism Good for the Planet? [www.sierraclub.org], weighed some of these risks and drafted a set of conservation policies for ecotravel that include proper waste management, energy conservation, and prohibited forms of travel, such as by helicopter. Conservation International [www.conservation.org] is also developing a Tourism Assessment Manual that will evaluate the environmental and biodiversity considerations within a tourism destination. Anyway, the point remains: take a look under the hood of any organization you choose, and try to take care to leave wherever you go cleaner than when you came. Vacation is supposed to be fun, but it can also be good clean (and green) fun if you take a moment to plan and think about the impact of it and be sure that others will be able to enjoy as much as you for years to come.

This week, we’ve been looking at a few of the issues surrounding our carbon footprint and individual contributions to climate change, and some of the things you can do to cut back. Now that it’s Friday and “Carbon Week” is coming a close, we’ll wrap it up with a simple idea that everyone can implement, every day: think.

That’s right, all we really have to do to reduce our individual carbon footprints each day is think: about [url= http://www.sundancechannel.com/blogs/treehugger/390201328]how to reduce home energy use[/url]; about where our food comes from [www.sundancechannel.com]; about using alternative transportation [www.sundancechannel.com] and the list goes on and on. When you leave a room, think about whether or not you left a light on (and turn it off if you did!); when you shop for food, think about cutting back a bit on meat, and think about avoiding foods that have been shipped in from great distances; when it comes time to pay your bills, think about paying them online, and sign up for paperless billing if you can. When you think about engaging in carbon-intensive behavior, like flying or driving, and trips can’t be reduced or avoided altogether, think about offsetting your emissions [www.sundancechannel.com]. They are all small things, but they all add up and all make a difference; check out TreeHugger’s “How to Go Green” guides [www.treehugger.com] for more ideas.

As is evident by the posts this week, carbon emissions and our collective and individual carbon footprint is a complex, sometimes confusing problem with no quick solution — and we just had five quick posts scratch the surface. It isn’t a matter of throwing money at the problem (as with carbon offsets) or making one quick change (any of the actions listed above, for example) and calling it good. Though the problem of climate change is looming and getting larger, we can all make a positive difference every single day, and it all starts with one simple action: think.

Though generally regarded as something between a band-aid and validation for dirty behavior, carbon offsets have become a very popular way to essentially “have your cake and eat it, too.” While this isn’t good justification for us as individuals, when applied to a larger organization, event or product, it can be an effective way to both clean up after itself and also help spread the word to a larger mainstream audience. Over the past year or so, there isn’t much that we haven’t seen that has “gone carbon neutral”, or canceled its entire carbon footprint through the offset process discussed yesterday [www.sundancechannel.com].

While we like the prevention vs. treatment, proactive vs. reactive approach of increasing efficiency and decreasing emissions in the first place, we also realize that the world will continue to spin, and things will continue to happen as they have for decades, even centuries, no matter how loud we shout about increasing energy efficiency and cutting back on carbon emissions. This is especially applicable to worldwide cultural and sporting events; things like the Olympic Games, World Cup and the Super Bowl (all of whom have committed to carbon neutrality in the past year or so) will continue to happen before, during and after any major governmental legislation or huge socio-political shift having to do with global warming. With a grain of salt and a warm embrace of cultural relativity, we applaud these events for taking small step forward (on a huge scale) and going carbon neutral. Sporting events aren’t the only things that have jumped on the bandwagon, though; carbon neutrality knows no bounds these days. Here are some of TreeHugger’s notable highlights:

[*] This year’s Super Bowl [www.treehugger.com], along with last year’s World Cup [www.treehugger.com] and Winter Olympic Games [www.treehugger.com], have been joined on the carbon-neutral all-star team by other sporting events and organizations like the Kodak Gallery Pro Cycling Team presented by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. [www.treehugger.com], the Cincinatti Reds’ home opening game [www.treehugger.com] and
the 2008 Games in Beijing [www.treehugger.com] .
[*] Not to be left out, the idea is sneaking into Hollywood, with An Inconvenient Truth [www.treehugger.com] (of course), Syriana [www.treehugger.com] and indie flick Sweet Land [www.treehugger.com] canceling the emissions from their respective productions.
[*] Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young [www.treehugger.com] neutralized the emissions from their latest tour, which included buses run on 100% biodiesel.
[*] Regular stuff, like tea [www.treehugger.com], wine [www.treehugger.com] and flower delivery [www.treehugger.com] has been going carbon neutral, too.
[*] There’s a proposal to make all new homes in the UK [www.treehugger.com] carbon neutral by 2016.
[*] Airplane flights [www.treehugger.com], one of the biggest contributors to climate change, can now be made carbon-neutral.

With so many examples, it’s easy to see why “carbon neutral” [www.treehugger.com] was the New Oxford American Dictionary’s word of the year for 2006. Stay tuned, as we wrap up “Carbon Week” tomorrow, with a final look at your carbon footprint.

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