Grist | Topics | 35 Results

RESULTS		Results 1 – 25 of 35
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Headline	Author	Published	Section
Mechanism Bull U.N. clean-energy program criticized for not funding clean energy		11 Jul 2008	News
Posted at 2:32 PM on 11 Jul 2008 The United Nations Clean Development Mechanism, set up under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, issues carbon credits to industrialized nations that pay for renewable-energy projects in developing countries. Last we checked, coal and natural gas weren't renewable -- but the CDM is currently paying out millions of dollars a year to 13 natural-gas-burning plants in China and India, and in Sept. ...
Topics: carbon offsets, carbon trading, climate, coal, energy, fossil fuels, natural gas, news, renewable energy, United Nations (all these topics)

Breaking the Bank World Bank should get out of carbon-offset market, says report		11 Apr 2008	News
Posted at 3:48 PM on 11 Apr 2008 Carbon-offset dealings by the World Bank have been criticized (and not for the first time) in a report released Thursday by the Institute for Policy Studies. In the past two years, the report charges, the bank has loaned $1.5 billion to fossil-fuel companies to make minor greenhouse-gas reductions. It then sells carbon credits for those reductions, says coauthor Daphne Wysham, " ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, climate, energy, fossil fuels, news, World Bank (all these topics)

When does additionality matter? Part 3 Almost always, but the reason is more subtle than you think	Adam Stein	03 Apr 2008	Gristmill
In two previous posts, I've attempted to establish that additionality is neither some strange concept relevant only to carbon offsets nor an awkward patch used to fix a defect in the design of carbon markets. Rather, the concept of additionality is applicable to any incentive system, whether subsidy, tax, or whatever. The real question is what degree of additionality is actually necessary or desirable in any given system. Put another way, when should we care enough about ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, carbon trading, climate, energy, greenhouse-gas emissions (all these topics)

When does additionality matter? Part 2 Measuring additionality has clear benefits -- and also some obvious costs	Adam Stein	31 Mar 2008	Gristmill
The second in a series of posts on additionality. In his post criticizing the design of carbon markets, Sean correctly notes that additionality is a pain to measure -- an ever more expensive pain, as the industry matures and quality controls become more stringent. To take an example I know well, at TerraPass, we spend tens of thousands of dollars per project helping dairy farmers validate their methane digesters under the Voluntary Carbon Standard. It's a complex proc ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, carbon trading, climate, energy, greenhouse-gas emissions (all these topics)

When does additionality matter? Part 1 The deceptively simple concept at the heart of carbon markets	Adam Stein	30 Mar 2008	Gristmill
Sean recently wrote a provocative post on why 'additionality' -- one of the bedrock principles of carbon markets as presently designed -- is an expensive waste of time. This is a rich topic, and my perspective as a carbon offset retailer differs from his as an energy producer. It's worth spending a few posts exploring why.When we ask whether a greenhouse-gas reduction is 'additional,' we're asking if it would have happened in the absence of whatever incentive we've ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, climate, energy (all these topics)

Slacker credits	David Roberts	29 Feb 2008	Gristmill
This is from the very funny daily web comic Joy of Tech:
Topics: art, carbon offsets, climate, energy, funnies, green living (all these topics)

Presidential campaign footprints under scrutiny Confused Washington Times disses McCain and Obama on lack of carbon offsets	Joseph Romm	20 Feb 2008	Gristmill
In a bizarre twist, the conservative Washington Times, which would normally be critical of fuzzy environmental strategies like carbon offsets, is actually attacking the candidates for not offsetting all their campaign emissions. Opening with an absurd headline, 'Green crusades lot of talk,' the Times writes: Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama have called for strict mandatory limits to control greenhouse gases but they aren't leading by example -- each has failed ...
Topics: Barack Obama, John McCain, elections, presidential race 08, climate, energy, carbon offsets, politics (all these topics)

House carbon offsets 'a waste of taxpayer money' Funds for offsets shouldn't reward past environmental behavior	Joseph Romm	29 Jan 2008	Gristmill
If you must buy carbon offsets, caveat emptor -- in particular, don't buy them from the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). That is the point of a terrific front-page article in the Washington Post: 'Value of U.S. House's Carbon Offsets Is Murky, Some Question Effectiveness of $89,000 Purchase to Balance Out Greenhouse Gas Emissions.' Yes, it is nice to be quoted above the fold in any major newspaper -- the quote in the headline is from me -- but the reason I think the ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation, energy (all these topics)

The so-so Voluntary Carbon Standard New standard for carbon offsets is unimpressive	Joseph Romm	21 Nov 2007	Gristmill
As E&E News (subs. req'd)reports today: An industry group released standards yesterday for carbon dioxide offsets in the hopes of attracting existing and still-forming emission-trading markets. The Voluntary Carbon Standards (VCS) are aimed at evaluating clean-energy projects in developing countries that are used to offset industrialized nations' emissions of greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism. You can read all a ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation, energy (all these topics)

CCX marks the spot House buys carbon credits through Chicago Climate Exchange	Joseph Romm	20 Nov 2007	Gristmill
Perhaps this (sub. rqd.) is not the best strategy: The House purchased these carbon credits to offset the impact of 30,000 tons of carbon emitted by the U.S. Capitol's coal-burning power plant each year. The funds will be used on carbon reducing measures, such as planting trees and underground storage of carbon dioxide, as well as green technologies like wind and solar power. The auction was oversubscribed with a weighted average clearing price of $2.97 per to ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, energy, greenhouse-gas emissions, US House of Representatives (all these topics)

Me and Dan Kalafatas What should I ask a carbon offset expert?	David Roberts	08 Oct 2007	Gristmill
Sorry for the late notice, but tomorrow at 1pm (Pacific) I'm interviewing Dan Kalafatas, president and COO of 3 Degrees, a new outfit that delivers "customized, global climate change solutions to U.S. businesses, utilities and institutions." In English, that means they sell offsets and RECs to businesses, work with utilities to establish green power pricing programs, and help businesses market their sustainability for maximum advantage. "Ano ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, climate, energy, energy efficiency, greening biz operations (all these topics)

Suffer the little children -- from carbon offsets? A clean tech firm accuses a carbon credit nonprofit of forcing kids to do fieldwork	Elsa Mary	25 Sep 2007	Gristmill
You might blame a leading carbon-offset provider of forcing poor kids to work, according to The Times of London. Or not. Carbon credit firm Climate Care pays families in India to use human-powered treadle pumps to get water out of the ground for drinking and farming. As a result, half a million foot pumps have replaced diesel ones, which pollute and cost a lot to fuel. Unfortunately, Climate Care doesn't ensure the diesel pumps are retired instead of finding new lif ...
Topics: agriculture, carbon offsets, climate, energy, India (all these topics)

Revenge of the offset nerds Thursday event in D.C. seeks carbon questions	Glenn Hurowitz	19 Sep 2007	Gristmill
Gear up your brains and flex those diatribe muscles, carbon offset nerds -- the offset debate is coming to the Capitol, and you're all invited to participate. Institute of Ecosystem Studies Dr. William Schlesinger is going to be speaking at 6:00 pm this Thursday on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., about his recent work on the interaction between forests and climate -- and its implications for how and whether carbon offsets should be allowed. I'm on the board of t ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, energy, Washington DC (all these topics)

Discover Brilliant: The business of climate change	David Roberts	17 Sep 2007	Gristmill
The final session of the day (hooray) is about "the business of climate change." On the panel: Climate Change Journal, Grant Ferrier, Editor (Moderator) Climate Solutions, K.C. Golden, Policy Director Sterling Planet, Alden Hathaway II, Senior VP, Business Development Environmental Resources Trust, Gordon Smith, EcoLands Director We start with Smith, who begins by, of all things, talking about forestry credits in carbon markets! He says they aren' ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, carbon trading, climate, energy, politics (all these topics)

Markey and the FTC Rep. Markey asks the Federal Trade Commission to investigate voluntary carbon offsets	Sean Casten	11 Sep 2007	Gristmill
Rep. Markey has asked the FTC to investigate whether or not the sale of voluntary carbon offsets violates the Guides for the Use of Evaluating Environmental Marketing Claims, as laid out by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC has responded and agreed to commence an investigation, noting that: The FTC staff has been monitoring this nascent market as part of the Commission's ongoing consumer protection programs in the energy and environmental areas. The carbon offset ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, climate, Ed Markey, energy, politics (all these topics)

Coal is not the enemy of mankind when properly offset Because voluntary offsets are never, ever like indulgences	Gar Lipow	02 Sep 2007	Gristmill
In a prime example of how voluntary offsets fail to resemble indulgences: As someone who once sunk a shrimp boat as an act of civil disobedience, Diane Wilson was disappointed when two big environmental groups opted for a less-than risky alternative to blocking a new coal-burning power plant that's poised to blaze in her community of Calhoun County, Texas. If she had the time and resources, Wilson, a fourth generation fisherman and leader of the lonely environmental ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation, energy (all these topics)

Indulgences redux Offset customers don't buy offsets to justify their other behavior	David Roberts	29 Aug 2007	Gristmill
So, TerraPass just got done with a customer survey, with several thousand responses. Uncovered was the shocking news that people are not, in fact, using offsets as an excuse to indulge in other bad behaviors. (Here's a one-page PDF summarizing results.) In fact, just as you'd expect, people who care enough to pay for offsets also care enough to reduce their emissions in other ways. As Adam says, this counts as pretty good evidence against the "indulgences" ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation, energy (all these topics)

Positive offset reinforcement	David Roberts	28 Aug 2007	Gristmill
The Wall Street Journal has a big package ... of stories on energy in their Energy Report. I think you need a subscription to see them; there's a roundup here. I haven't looked through everything yet, but I did like this smart, if brief, video on offsets: One of the things Gelobter's outfit is trying to do with its new shopping portal is direct substantial money to the right kind of offsets, serving to reinforce positive practices in the market. He says as much ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, energy (all these topics)

Rule four of offsets: No enhanced oil recovery Injecting CO2 into oil wells is not real carbon sequestration	Joseph Romm	24 Aug 2007	Gristmill
Capturing CO2 and injecting it into a well to squeeze more oil out of the ground is not real carbon sequestration. Why? When the recovered oil is burned, it releases at least as much CO2 as was stored (and possibly much more). Therefore, CO2 used for such enhanced oil recovery (EOR) does not reduce net carbon emissions and should not be sold to the public as a carbon offset. Yet a company, Blue Source, LLC, proposes to do just that: to capture the CO2 from a f ...
Topics: carbon offsets, carbon sequestration, climate, climate change mitigation, energy, oil (all these topics)

A Biospherian weighs in on offsets Having survived Biosphere, she's ready to enter the offset debate	JMG	01 Aug 2007	Gristmill
A summary overview / intro to offsets by a woman who was one of the Biospherians.
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, energy (all these topics)

Rule three of offsets: No geo-engineering Smacking down a bad idea	Joseph Romm	27 Jul 2007	Gristmill
I know you've all been eagerly waiting for this (don't worry, I don't have many more rules). I got sidetracked by last week's offset hearing. Offset projects should deliver climate benefits with high confidence -- that's a key reason trees make lousy offsets, especially non-urban, non-tropical trees. An even more dubious source of offsets is geo-engineering, which is 'the intentional large scale manipulation of the global environment' (PDF) to counter ...
Topics: carbon offsets, carbon sequestration, climate, climate change mitigation, energy, geoengineering, oceans (all these topics)

Jack Bauer is going to stop global warming The TV show 24 will reduce its carbon footprint	Chris Schults	27 Jul 2007	Gristmill
Fans of 24 know that if there's one person that can stop climate change, it ain't Al Gore. It's Jack Bauer. If you are not familiar with Jack, here are some of his qualifications from the site Random Jack Bauer Facts: There are two hands that can beat a royal flush. Jack Bauer's right hand and Jack Bauer's left hand. Most people would need months to recover from 20 months of Chinese interrogation. Jack Bauer needs a shower, a shave and a change of clothes. ...
Topics: biofuels, carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation, ecological footprint, energy, green living, greenhouse-gas emissions, renewable energy, TV (all these topics)

Offset mania Can't we offset something other than carbon?	David Roberts	25 Jul 2007	Gristmill
Lordy, this is getting out of hand: Under the agreement announced Wednesday, the Forest Service and the National Forest Foundation will allow individuals or groups to make charitable contributions that will be used to plant trees and do other work to improve national forests. ... Under the new program, known as the Carbon Capital Fund, consumers can 'offset' their carbon emissions by investing in projects on national forests to plant trees and improve water qu ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation, energy, national forests (all these topics)

Oh, jeez, not another carbon offset post ... Just when you thought it was over	biodiversivist	19 Jul 2007	Gristmill
Spreadsheets are wonderful things. Rhett Butler has put together a really nice cost analysis comparing the value of tropical peat bogs to palm oil. In a nutshell, this chart shows how much money the owners of these peat bogs could make in the next thirty years, depending of course on the future prices of palm oil and carbon offset credits: Take a look at the lower left-hand corner. Note that carbon credits put money in the landowners' hands from day one, while a new ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation, energy (all these topics)

More fresh, hot data nuggets on carbon offsets Highlights from a report on the state of the U.S. carbon market	Adam Stein	19 Jul 2007	Gristmill
Yesterday morning I attended a "special presentation" of the carbon market survey David summarized earlier. The panel discussion was a chance for the report's authors to present the findings to industry participants. A couple of further comments, for those interested in this topic: The market is probably bigger than reported. Due to difficulties gathering data on this young and highly fragmented industry, the authors feel the market size estimate is con ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation, energy (all these topics)

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