CoolGlobes: a Carbon Neutral Project
The leading cause of climate change is an excess of carbon dioxide emissions that result from the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil-fuel burning is currently used to heat homes, drive cars, and light the world. Because of this, each human has a carbon footprint.
CoolGlobes aims to highlight solutions to global warming, with the goal of creating public awareness about the many ways we can reduce or avoid emissions while supporting clean, renewable energy sources. Of course, the CoolGlobes project itself has a carbon footprint; a diversified carbon-offset program has been set in motion to neutralize the carbon emissions created by the project.
While global warming affects the entire planet, the good news is that reducing carbon emissions in one place can offset emissions being generated in another. The most important first step in any environmental lesson is to reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, and recycle everything else. The same goes for carbon emissions—first reduce, and then offset, the world's emissions.
Our offset portfolio includes:
Renewable energy certificates provided by The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a pioneer in the developing carbon-offset market, in the form of renewable energy certificates (also called Green Tags). BEF reinvests all of the net revenues from Green Tags into solar power systems for schools and businesses, wind power systems for farms and ranches, and restoration efforts for salmon-bearing streams. The Green Tags donated to the Cool Globes project were made possible through a contribution from the band Pearl Jam, and are part of the band's Carbon Portfolio Strategy.
Wind power (a renewable energy source) provided by Community Energy, Inc., an Iberdrola company. Iberdrola is the world's largest wind energy developer, and is committed to supplying the demand for clean, fuel-free energy. Advancing the development of new wind energy generation in the U.S.A., Community Energy serves Fortune 500 companies, educational and religious institutions, municipalities, LEED buildings, and more than 100,000 residential and small business customers.
Tree planting (carbon sequestering and renewable energy source) by The Green Belt Movement, in Kenya, where the forest cover is now less than 2 percent. Experts say that a forest cover of 10 percent is required to equip the ecosystem to provide essential resources like water for urban populations, agriculture, and wildlife. In order to accomplish this, five billion trees must be planted in the next 50 years. The Green Belt Movement was founded by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Professor Wangari Matahai in 1977.
Environmentally sound agricultural practices (carbon reduction and sequestering) in the United States, which include no-till cropping and grass cover planting initiatives (arranged by the Chicago Climate Exchange and its member organizations including the Delta Institute, the Iowa Farm Bureau, Environmental Credit Corp. and the North Dakota Farmers Union). The Chicago Climate Exchange is North America's only—and the world's first—greenhouse gas emission registry, reduction, and trading system for all six greenhouse gases.
