Going Carbon Neutral

In a recent interview about his film An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore was asked about his personal itinerary that involves tons of travel and therefore tons of CO2 emissions which are the focus of the film's global warming theme. His response was that he makes an effort to be "carbon neutral." But what exactly does this mean and how does one go about doing it?

Carbon neutral has to do with carbon dioxide, a naturally occurring gas and a byproduct of worldwide human activity such as burning gasoline and other fuels. Its increasing levels in the earth's atmosphere fuel the argument that humans are contributing to unnatural or accelerated climate change, often referred to as global warming. Regulatory responses exist in examples like the Kyoto Protocol and the UK and European Union's Emission Trading Scheme but the new buzz phrase carbon neutral takes emissions responsibility into the hands of the individual.

Scientists differ over degrees of global warming, wrestling with uncertain forecasts for the planet. Whether or not the projections are correct, it is certain that the environment around the globe is experiencing changes at rapid rates. Many of these changes can be connected to increased carbon dioxide emissions. A scientific and political consensus is starting to gel that the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 60% should occur over the next half century at most.

So back to carbon neutral - it means emitting no net carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A plant is said to be carbon neutral if the carbon dioxide it absorbs equals the carbon dioxide it emits when burned. Humans don't absorb carbon dioxide, but we produce it in tons. Human carbon dioxide emissions are growing at the fastest rate ever. An average person worldwide causes 4 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. Driving an SUV emits 5 tons of carbon dioxide annually (10,000 miles / 18 miles per gallon / source: The Wall Street Journal). The average American produces 22 tons of carbon dioxide per year. It all adds up.

None of us wants to be responsible for ruining the planet but the reality is our lifestyles, especially in the United States, are not always earth friendly. For the past six years, I've driven a small utility vehicle and I've flown several times. My house is "on the grid" and I've used plenty of products made from petrochemicals. My personal ecological footprint exists as do those of my neighbors, family and friends. There are people who have managed to minimize their existence for the sake of the planet and all its creatures and there are people who don't have the luxury to decide. For those of us who are caught between life as we know it and environmental guilt, think carbon neutral - a compromise between modern living and the needs of the planet.

For people and organizations, becoming carbon neutral can be achieved by implementing renewable energy projects to offset carbon dioxide emissions. Ideally, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions would be the best way to become carbon neutral but if that's not possible all is not lost.

If you are interested in becoming carbon neutral you need to know how much carbon dioxide emissions you are producing. You can use an average such as 22 tons for an American or you can do a carbon dioxide audit available online at different sources (listed in "additional resources") to determine your carbon footprint. This is the sum of the carbon dioxide emissions from driving a car, running a home, traveling and other activities. To become carbon neutral requires implementing or investing in the implementation of emissions offset programs equal to your carbon dioxide emissions.

For instance, my home is a condominium so going "off the grid" for electricity is difficult and the source of my electricity is a carbon dioxide emitting plant. I would be hard pressed to convince the homeowners association to allow me to install a wind turbine in my designated outdoor common space. However, through a program called Clean and Green I can support wind generated electricity elsewhere and enable someone else to use renewable energy in their home. This offsets my household electricity consumption and supports the growth of the renewable energy industry. Investing in solar energy projects is another excellent way to offset carbon dioxide emissions like the Rural Solar Electrification Project in India and Sri Lanka. Donations to this program help switch communities from CO2 emitting kerosene lighting to solar powered systems.

Another example is an obvious one, plant a tree. One mature tree can soak up one ton of carbon dioxide. Three grown trees will offset the carbon dioxide emissions of a long haul flight, like New York to Düsseldorf. Now this doesn't mean that air travel is the best choice for travel. Remember, it takes three mature trees to offset the CO2 emissions from a long haul flight and it takes some time for these to grow. If possible, consider the benefits of an alternative transportation. For instance, per passenger mile, trains are the least polluting form of travel and you'll see more than from a jet. If you must fly offsetting CO2 emissions is the next best solution. In the UK, all government departments travel carbon neutral offsetting their CO2 emissions from air travel by investing in renewable energy programs.

The UK sets a good example in its successful carbon neutral policies in that it recognizes that modern living impacts the planet in ways that have compounding negative impacts. Even though collectively we are trying to correct behaviors that aren't environmentally sound, the infrastructure humans have developed for modern living reinforces them. For those of us who have difficulty minimizing our ecological footprint, carbon neutrality is a step in the right direction. Going carbon neutral is an easy way for individuals and organizations to alleviate the impact they have on the natural world.