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RESULTS		Results 26 – 50 of 98
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Headline	Author	Published	Section
Let Your Commission Be Your Guide Federal Trade Commission reviews environmental marketing guidelines		08 Jan 2008	News
Posted at 9:59 AM on 08 Jan 2008 With consumers becoming more and more concerned about greenwashing, the Federal Trade Commission has agreed to review its voluntary environmental marketing guidelines. Today the agency is holding a public forum addressing carbon offsets and renewable energy credits, the first in a series of workshops designed to review the guidelines, which have not been updated ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, greenwashing, news (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)

To Market, to Market, to Buy a Carbon Offset Groups announce voluntary carbon standard for offset market		19 Nov 2007	News
Posted at 3:39 PM on 19 Nov 2007 In an attempt to rebut accusations that buying and selling carbon offsets amounts to a whole lotta nothin', a coalition of three groups has announced new voluntary standards for the international offset market. The standard attempts to verify that money spent on carbon offsets goes directly to a project that does indeed help the climate. Says Mark Kenber of L ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, climate, news (all these topics)

Fiji Whiz Fiji Water announces plan to become carbon negative		07 Nov 2007	News
Posted at 4:22 PM on 07 Nov 2007 A bold new plan to bypass carbon neutrality and become carbon negative has been announced by, of all things, a bottled-water company. Fiji Water has announced specific goals to pursue renewable energy, forest preservation, and water conservation, and will buy carbon offsets to cover 120 percent of its greenhouse-gas emissions. Which is good and all, says Jon Coifman of the Natural Resources Defense Co ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, Fiji, food, news (all these topics)

U.S. Mayors Climate Conference: Gore II Gore: carbon credits and offsets a good thing if used responsibly	David Roberts	02 Nov 2007	Gristmill
Joy Miller of Hallandale Beach asked Gore about carbon credits and offsets -- "buying our way out of the problem." You won't be surprised to hear that Gore's answer was wonky and careful and came in parts. He said credits are a 'good thing' if the standards and information are in place to validate their quality. "The economy can be an ally," and we know cap-and-trade systems work. However, if used irresponsibly, as a substitute for direct re ...
Topics: Al Gore, climate, climate change mitigation, carbon offsets (all these topics)

Me in Fast Company	David Roberts	29 Oct 2007	Gristmill
I don't think I've mentioned it here, but I've got a monthly column on green business in the print edition of Fast Company. I wasn't sure whether they put it up for free online, but it appears they do: my column from the November edition is right here. It is a piece of craven corporatist capitulating to The Man, by which I mean it's a qualified defense of carbon offsets. Give 'er a read.
Topics: business, carbon offsets, shameless self-promotion (all these topics)

Yahoo! goes carbon neutral Web company announces selection of offset projects	David Roberts	22 Oct 2007	Gristmill
Back in April, Yahoo! announced that it will be going carbon neutral in 2007, and pledged to be entirely transparent about the process. They acknowledged the controversy around offsets: We know carbon neutrality isn't without controversy. And it's honestly deserved if companies and individuals don't first make an effort to find direct ways to reduce their impact. We'll continue to be vigilant about cutting ours, looking for creative ways to power our faciliti ...
Topics: business, carbon neutral, carbon offsets, greening biz operations, websites (all these topics)

Directed Buy On carbon offsets	Umbra Fisk	15 Oct 2007	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I've been reading the whole back-and-forth about carbon offsets, and it seems strange to me that most (all?) of the ones I've seen fund projects that, while worthwhile, may or may not result in the promised emissions reduction. It seems that a simple way around this problem would be to buy actual emissions permits from an established carbon market like Europe. Are there any companies or organizations that would allow me to do t ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation (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)

My backyard carbon sink Can planting trees offset your carbon footprint?	Eric de Place	18 Sep 2007	Gristmill
When my wife and I bought our house, the yard was typical for our neighborhood: a mostly barren plain of lawn so sunbaked that you could bounce a tennis ball off it. So being eco-groovy types, we've tried to improve the place: we put in a rain barrel, built a natural drainage system, and added topsoil planting berms. But I'm most proud of the trees we've planted: a pair of akebono cherries in the parking strip and a white-star magnolia in the front yard; and in the b ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, ecological footprint (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)

Update on PG&E's ClimateSmart Offset Program On how electric utilities should become carbon neutral	Joseph Romm	07 Sep 2007	Gristmill
Since my first post dissing PG&E's offset program, I've had phone calls with PG&E, NRDC, members of PG&E's ClimateSmart External Advisory Group, plus a call with a forestry expert who consults with those who oversee the van Eck forest, which is featured on the 'Our Projects' page of the ClimateSmart website. I have four basic conclusions: I still think, in general, the vast majority of electric utilities should not be in the business of sellin ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation (all these topics)

Offsets never, ever resemble indulgences: Part II On the problem of carbon-offset projects in developing countries	Gar Lipow	04 Sep 2007	Gristmill
[editor's note, by David Roberts] Important update to this post here. It turns out that Climate Care, a major indulgence offset provider, is paying farmers in India to pump water with treadles rather than diesel pumps in order to offset plane flights. I would hope that supporters of offsets would be as quick as opponents to see what is wrong with this. In case someone is reading this before their morning coffee, I will simply point out that it is one thing for rich ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation (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)

Will That Cover My Three Vacation Homes? Aspen, Colo., unveils its own carbon-offsetting program		30 Aug 2007	News
Posted at 5:16 PM on 30 Aug 2007 Aspen, Colo., home of many insanely rich folk, has become the first municipality in the nation to sell its very own brand of carbon offsets. check out the offsets:� Canary Tags From the Archives Now That's What We Call Hospitality. Vietnam hospital waste turned into plastic utensils. Flooded With Remorse. Climate change could cause more floo ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, Colorado, news (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)

Their Bark Is Worse For Our Blight Decade-long study says trees may not be good at offsetting carbon		10 Aug 2007	Daily Grist
Their Bark Is Worse For Our Blight Decade-long study says trees may not be good at offsetting carbon Step away from the vegetation, treehuggers, and find something else to embrace. New research finds that when it comes to offsetting greenhouse gases, trees may not be up to the challenge. For 10 years, Duke University researchers plied a stand of North Carolina loblolly pines with ...
Topics: carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation, climate science, news (all these topics)

Trees They're not going to save us	David Roberts	10 Aug 2007	Gristmill
Oh well, it was a nice thought: A decade-long experiment led by Duke University scientists indicates that trees provide little help in offsetting increased levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Note to the hordes of indignant commenters lunging for the CAPS LOCK key: this does not mean trees are worthless. Trees do many wonderful things. They're like ponies and ice cream, only awesomer. I'm going to go hug one as soon as I'm done with this post. Yay for tree ...
Topics: carbon offsets, carbon sequestration, climate, climate change mitigation (all these topics)

Desert Flowers Legendary Burning Man festival gets an eco-conscience	Judith Lewis	03 Aug 2007	Main Dish
Armen Zeitounian leads the way up the staircase of the house he's living in, a two-story colonial nestled in the smoggy hills north of Los Angeles, complete with a view and a pool and a black Ford Explorer in the driveway. In a room on the top floor, a two-by-six-inch plank, painted white, protrudes about five feet through a hole halfway up the wall; in the next room, the other half of the plank emer ...
Topics: art, carbon offsets, climate, climate change impacts, climate change mitigation, green living, Nevada, recycling (all these topics)

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