Harbour Air Ltd, the world’s largest all-seaplane airline, announced today that it has pledged to become completely carbon neutral by the end of 2007. Effective October 1, 2007, Harbour Air will purchase high quality carbon offsets to mitigate the climate impact of all scheduled service, charter and tour operations. This will make Harbour Air the first air carrier of any variety in North America and the only seaplane airline in the world to make all of its flight services 100% carbon neutral.
Harbour Air is further pledging to offset its corporate emissions to become the first carrier in the world to become completely carbon neutral in all aspects of its business. Harbour Air Seaplanes will institute a policy to track, reduce, and offset its corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by January 1, 2008.
This program was launched in partnership with Offsetters Climate Neutral Society.
For more details, see www.harbourair.com
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
North-West Passage is now plain sailing | Environment | Guardian Unlimited
North-West Passage is now plain sailing | Environment | Guardian Unlimited
In case you needed more evidence of why governments of Canada, the US, and Russia that are otherwise climate change skeptics are all of a sudden so interested in sovereignty issues in the north. For the first time since records began, the Northwest Passage is ice free.
In case you needed more evidence of why governments of Canada, the US, and Russia that are otherwise climate change skeptics are all of a sudden so interested in sovereignty issues in the north. For the first time since records began, the Northwest Passage is ice free.
Friday, August 17, 2007
WP: Cost of Saving the Climate Meets Real-World Hurdles
The voluntary offset market has grown to a $55 million/year industry, prompting increased scrutiny of offset projects and companies. A look at the challenges faced in participating in an unregulated industry.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/15/AR2007081502432.html?hpid=moreheadlines
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/15/AR2007081502432.html?hpid=moreheadlines
Monday, August 13, 2007
news @ nature.com - Rising temperatures "will stunt rainforest growth" - Plants suffering in the heat could make global warming worse.
news @ nature.com - Rising temperatures "will stunt rainforest growth" - Plants suffering in the heat could make global warming worse.
A lot of people hope that reforestation or avoided deforestation will limit some of the increases in greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. Most people understand the simple story of how living plants absorb carbon dioxide, but this show how the system is more complex. Plant do increase in productivity up to a threshold and then they are not able to photosynthesise. Worst still, if trees die then they may rot, producing methane in large volumes, which is a very effective greenhouse gas. These problems apply both in northern and tropical forests. In northern forests, the other big issue is that there is actually more carbon in the soil than in the trees themselves. A study in the UK found net losses of carbon dioxide from soil reserves in recent years. So tree planting, while attractive in terms of the story, is much more complex than it seems.
A lot of people hope that reforestation or avoided deforestation will limit some of the increases in greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. Most people understand the simple story of how living plants absorb carbon dioxide, but this show how the system is more complex. Plant do increase in productivity up to a threshold and then they are not able to photosynthesise. Worst still, if trees die then they may rot, producing methane in large volumes, which is a very effective greenhouse gas. These problems apply both in northern and tropical forests. In northern forests, the other big issue is that there is actually more carbon in the soil than in the trees themselves. A study in the UK found net losses of carbon dioxide from soil reserves in recent years. So tree planting, while attractive in terms of the story, is much more complex than it seems.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Climate Change from breathing
Every time you breath out, a little bit of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Add up all the carbon dioxide breathed out and it adds up to 0.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide or about 0.6 tons per person per year. Human waste adds in another 0.3 tons per year. Add in all the carbon dioxide from domestic animals and it adds up to about 2 billion tons.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Special Report on Climate Change - New Scientist Environment
Special Report on Climate Change - New Scientist Environment
New Scientist has just run another special issue on climate change covering a range of issues from the role of iodine in the oceans to the reasons why green buildings have not been as popular as they should be. There is detailed coverage of the new Australian cap and trade system and an interesting piece on the relationship between climate change and war in Chinese history. This theme came up in the early nineties as a number of international relations scholars wondered out loud about whether climate change and environmental degradation in general could cause conflict. Generally, the view at the time was that war is driven by far more complex factors that climate change.
New Scientist has just run another special issue on climate change covering a range of issues from the role of iodine in the oceans to the reasons why green buildings have not been as popular as they should be. There is detailed coverage of the new Australian cap and trade system and an interesting piece on the relationship between climate change and war in Chinese history. This theme came up in the early nineties as a number of international relations scholars wondered out loud about whether climate change and environmental degradation in general could cause conflict. Generally, the view at the time was that war is driven by far more complex factors that climate change.
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