Carbon,Offsets,Nutshell,Susan, DIY Carbon Offsets In A Nutshell By Susan Patel

When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in

Normal 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}I received an emaillast week with the question, “Do you recommend any particular carbon offsetcompany?” Great question and an even better topic to share since March 27 isall about climate change. If you follow thenews, chances are you’ve come across some sort of reference to carbon offsets.Its become all the rage as events like the winter Olympics and New York FashionWeek to people like Al Gore, Dixie Chicks and actors including George Clooneybuy offsets in an effort to become “carbon neutral.” Not to mention, businessesaround the world are taking a closer at their contributions to climate change,with an increasing number voluntarily reducing their “carbon footprint” too.What about you and your business?  Before you understand what’s involved, you need toknow what it “is.”  Offsetting, in simpleterms, is paying someone else to absorb or avoid the release of a ton of CO2elsewhere so that the purchaser of a carbon offset (or credit) can aim to compensatefor or, in concept, “offset” their own emissions.  Carbon offsets are aform of trade. When you buy an offset, you fund projects that reduce GHGemissions. Since GHG emissions circulate freely in the atmosphere and spreadaround the planet, the projects can be located anywhere in the world and stillmake an impact. There are two types ofcarbon markets: compliance schemes and voluntary programs. Compliance marketsare created and regulated by mandatory national, regional and internationalcarbon reduction regimes like Kyoto Protocol (the largest). The voluntarycarbon market functions outside of the compliance market. It enablesbusinesses, NGOs and individuals to offset their emissions by purchasing offsetindependent of the Kyoto Protocol and local regulatory systems. Why do businesses buy carbon offsets? * Strengthenenvironmental image* Position to meetupcoming government legislation on emission reductions* Market differentiationby growing sales and brand awareness* Communicate action onclimate change to guests, employees, investors and other stakeholders* Starting point of realemission reduction strategy Hotel businesses buy carbon offsets to reduce theircarbon footprint or build up their green image on a voluntary basis. Here’swhat you need to know: The voluntary marketdoes not have a specific, well-defined regulatory apparatus, and is actually amix of many different types of activities, providers and standards. * There are numerousstandards within the market from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), GoldStandard, ISO 14064, VERplus to certification programs as the Green-e ClimateProgram. * Each provider isdifferent. The company’s operations and project vary tremendously fromrenewable energy, methane capture, energy efficiency to industrial gases andforest & agriculture. Since there areendless options and the market certainly isn’t short of players, it candefinitely get confusing. This is why you’ll need to keep a scorecard. There are many factors that need to beconsidered, as: * Offsets should comefrom a real project that has actually been implemented or will be in the nearfuture (guaranteed)* It’s vital that theoffset comes from a project that wouldn’t have happened otherwise (in“addition” to business-as-usual)* Emission reductionfrom the offset project needs to be accurately quantified (establish baselineand monitoring plan)*  Offsets should beindependently verified* Provider should beregistered with the government or be established as a contractor to avoiddouble counting (which has been a major issue)* Offsets should be apermanent project making a permanent impact* Offsets should notcause or contribute to adverse effects on human health or environment* Offsets should providedevelopment benefits (sustainability) to host country These are areas Iconsider to be very important when evaluating a provider. Going Carbon Neutral Game PlanI recommend athree-step process to neutralize your hotel’s carbon emissions. STEP 1: Conserve ResourcesThere are manystrategies to conserve resources from reducing energy usage, water conservationto waste management. Your hotel can easily reduce energy use and save money byinstalling energy efficient lighting, water conserving fixtures and purchasingefficient electronics and appliances – to name a few. The team at EcoGreenHotelcan help you implement an energy efficient strategy. STEP 2: Buy GreenFrom clean, renewableenergy to green, environmentally friendly products like cleaning supplies, youcan find everything you need these days to operate your hotel sustainably. Manylocal utilities are beginning to generate their own sources of power throughsmall-scale alternative energy projects. Products and services that have earnedthird-party certifications, contain recycled content, are recyclable and/orbiodegradable and contain fewer or no toxins are now easy to find at www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com.  STEP 3: Offset Carbon EmissionsTake a look at thefollowing helpful sites: Carbon Offset Project List (www.carbonoffsetlist.org)Carbon Catalog Project List (www.carboncatalog.org)Clean Development Mechanism Approved Project List(http://cdm.unfccc.int) EcoGreenHotel offers carbon market services toaccurately quantify your hotel’s carbon footprint, help you offset youremissions by identify worldwide projects and monetize the credits to generateadded income. From a differentangle, offsets do present a paradox. On one hand, they offer a cost-effectivetool to reduce net emissions. However, as their popularity grows so does thecriticism. Critics have likened corporate offsets to “bargaining with thedevil” and putting “lipstick on a pig.” Despite the controversy, carbon offsetsshould not be ignored. Around the world, increasingly diverse companies of allsizes are finding offsetting to be an important component to their businessmodel – from relationships with partners and customers to it being an option toaddress the pressures associated with climate change.For more information go to: http://www.ecogreenhotel.com