It’s not all bad news (0)
Posted 11 March, 2008 in Carbon offsetting, Footprint reduction
Can it be true? Can there be such as thing as a truly carbon neutral… beer? Treehugger.com thinks so, as this story tells us. Seems the Aussies have combined their legendary love of the “amber nectar” with their concern for the environment. In short, they’ve seen the future. According to their website, the makers of Cascade Green beer have taken steps to reduce their Tasmanian carbon emissions, offsetting whatever remains.
The brewery, owned by the giant Fosters group, has “reduced our energy usage by 16% and water usage by 30% per unit of production over the last six years.” That’s per unit of production. They don’t say what their absolute water and energy usages look like: they easily could have grown if, say, the saving were made through economies of scale made through increased production.
Reductions have been made through energy efficiency measures, switching to hydro-power and recycling water. Ingredients are locally sourced, and the remaining emissions have been offset against a Tasmanian power generation scheme, the Hobart Landfill Flare Facility. This uses methane extracted from landfill sites – as this report points out, it’s a shame the same potent greenhouse gas generated by drinking beer can’t be put to good use…
That sinking feeling (0)
Posted 10 March, 2008 in Carbon offsetting, Climate change, Forests and woodlands, Political issues
Welcome to www.eighteenpercentcarbon.com. Let’s talk about trees. Here’s an article, first published in Conservation magazine (April-June 2007), then in the Nature Conservancy’s mag, about the role of trees in carbon sequestration.
That Sinking Feeling
We dig fossil fuel out of the ground, burn it and fill the atmosphere with carbon dioxide, and then plant trees to soak it back up. If only it were so simple.
Aren’t trees great? There’s something so utterly natural about meandering through a leafy woodland glade, staring up at that immense, almost overwhelming beech tree, and giving the big old thing a hug. And not only are trees our friends, but they can also save the planet. Right? According to the website of the CarbonNeutral Company (formerly known as Future Forests), “the invisible nature of greenhouse gases contrasts with how easy it is to understand how trees absorb CO2 and put out oxygen.” So there you have it. We dig fossil fuel out of the ground, burn it, and fill the atmosphere with carbon dioxide—and the trees soak it right back up. (more…)
Next »