This is a great idea. I suggest that the enterprise, if it is done here, be county-wide, though. Much of the money is outside the city, while the best bang for the buck would be to invest in energy conservation in the city. Investing in reducing carbon emissions locally would strengthen the local economy and help move us in the direction of stability and sustainability.
One of the criticisms of carbon credits is that they fund projects that often are already viable without them. The argument is that these projects don't need the incentive. Maybe they shouldn't need it, but the reality is that despite the fact that they make sense, they often are not happening. I suppose there will come a time when energy is so expensive that landlords will finally break down and insulate and tighten up the many older houses in the county that lack these basic measures, but so far it is happening pretty slowly. An extra incentive wouldn't hurt. A subsidy for TCAT to lower or eliminate fares would get more people out of their cars too. Just a couple of examples of low-hanging fruit. Joel Joel At 10:03 PM 9/6/07 -0400, you wrote: >This article is by way of Grist and the Denver Post: >http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_6754975 > >At several recent Sustainable Tompkins meetings this idea has been >mentioned. We could be the second municipality. Anyone interested? It >seems like a good way to keep local dollars and local carbon credits >together. > >"Canary Tags" a feather in offset efforts > ><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]:%20''Canary% >20Tags''%20a%20feather%20in%20offset%20efforts> By Steve Lipsher Denver >Post Staff Writer >Article Last Updated: 08/30/2007 12:28:32 AM MDT > > > > >Aspen - For the Aspen resident feeling guilty about flying into Sardy >Field in a private Gulfstream IV or owning a 10,000-square-foot vacation >home, the town is offering absolution. >Aspen this week became the first municipality in the nation to sell and >manage carbon offsets, or voluntary cash contributions for >alternative-energy projects to compensate for greenhouse-gas-generating >energy use. >"We're telling people what you should do is reduce your energy use and >carbon as much as possible, and then for things that are out of your >control ... that you should offset the rest," said Kim Peterson, the >town's global-warming manager. >Through the town's "Canary Tags" website (canarytags.com), residents and >visitors can calculate their estimated carbon generation for air or auto >travel - the latter based on distance and gas mileage - as well as for >business and residential use, and purchase credits at $20 for each ton >of carbon. >While other cities encourage residents to buy credit from certified >carbon traders for the energy they use, Aspen is unique in serving as >its own broker, investing the money directly into local and regional >programs such as a methane-recovery project at a Utah coal mine. >"We're also looking at things like small hydroelectric projects, some >wind projects, some energy efficiency and renewable energy for public >buildings," Peterson said. >Operating as a not-for-profit municipal enterprise, the Canary Tag >program aims to apply 90 cents of every dollar to actual projects. By >comparison, private carbon traders typically siphon off about 50 percent >of carbon purchases in overhead. >Carbon-offset programs have become the subject of debate, with critics >contending that they are feel-good efforts that don't diminish energy >consumption and that there are broad variations in carbon calculations >and types of investments by different traders. >"The worst of the carbon-offset programs resemble the Catholic Church's >sale of indulgences back before the Reformation," Denis Hayes, the >president of the Bullitt Foundation, an environmental grant-making >group, told The New York Times recently. >"Instead of reducing their carbon footprints," he said, "people take >private jets and stretch limos, and then think they can buy an >indulgence to forgive their sins." >Staff writer Steve Lipsher can be reached at 970-513-9495 or >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >Stephen C. Nicholson >Energy Independent Caroline >220 Yaple Rd. >Berkshire NY >607-539-6923 >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >_______________________________________________ >RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: >[email protected] >http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins >free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
