My version of carbon offsets (cheaper/faster/better)
According to one of the online carbon offset organizations my car uses the following…
Vehicle: 2000 Subaru Legacy Wagon AWD automatic transmission
Emissions: 9,586 lbs CO2 per year
Therefore I should pay $50/yr to offset my car (actually they .say that amount will offset 12,000 lbs CO2 per year).
They say my home is about 27171 lbs of CO2 per year and I should pay $140/yr (28,000 CO2 offset) to offset my home.
The same site says that that each incandescent bulb you replace with a CFL saves 120 lbs of CO2 per year.
Given that math to offset my home and car I need to offset 36757 lbs of CO2. This would be 307 CFLs so instead of spending $190 per year I could give away 307 CFLs to others. At $0.50 per bulb that I bought them for that is only $153.
I have given away 40 of my 307 so far. My offset has the benefit of helping those around me and the environment faster. They save money and the environment benefits.
Let me know what you think and check my math. My intention is not to say these groups are not doing well just that we can do better by starting in our own homes and helping those around us first.
Aaron
I think your idea is fine. But this is low hanging fruit - as, probably, is most carbon offsetting.
If, before long, most bulbs are CFL there will be little room for more offsetting this way.
Posted by: Joe Otten | May 27, 2007 at 05:17 AM
Joe,
I agree.
Also, I hope that there will be little room for improve via CFLs in a few years. However, helping others get them started down a path and may allow other who can not afford to get started on thier own.
I figure if I am going to make an impact this way make a faster impact with more of the money going to help then donating to some group where only a portion of the money helps.
Since my pockets are not deep it helps without costing as much.
Aaron
Posted by: Aaron Baranoff | May 28, 2007 at 03:38 AM