Sustainable Pittsburgh Doing Its Part

In 2007 you are sure to see a dramatic increase in the already fast pace of businesses, governments, organizations, individuals, etc. reaching to climate-neutralize their meetings, travel, production, vehicle fleets, lifestyles, emissions, etc. For example, all of Sustainable Pittsburgh’s conferences are climate neutral, as is the organization’s office. PennFuture became totally climate neutral in all activities in early spring, and has had its own solar power plant on the roof of its Harrisburg office since 2003. Sustainable Pittsburgh's executive director has purchased carbon offsets to climate neutralize his family's carbon footprint for 2007 (including cars, air travel, home heat and power totaling 27 tons of CO2 and costing $324). There are many companies that sell the offsets, for example, we use NativeEnergy http://www.nativeenergy.com/

Watch for ways in which businesses and other leaders invest in long-term profitability and stewardship in 2007 by going climate-neutral. A symbolic gesture was made by Sustainable Pittsburgh and PennFuture in purchasing carbon offsets for the "Future of Pittsburgh"
See the article: Future ushered in with clean energy http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07001/750502-85.stm
Get the whole story: Pittsburgher to Ring in the New Year by Fighting Global Warminghttp://www.sustainablepittsburgh.org/NewFrontPage/PressRelease/NewYear2007.htm

Background - What are Carbon Offsets
From Wikipedia: "A carbon offset zeros out (offsets) all or part of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of a party, by reducing the emissions—or increasing the carbon dioxide absorption—of another party. This reduces net greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of combating global warming. Effectively offsetting the emissions of an activity makes that activity "carbon neutral". World net carbon-emission rates would need to be reduced approximately 60%–80% by 2050 to keep global temperatures within 1°C above present. A 1° rise would likely raise sea levels by no more than approximately 16 feet) over the next 200 to 2000 years, whereas a 3°C rise would likely raise sea levels by 82 ± 33 feet. Carbon offsets can provide individuals, businesses and governments a way to reduce their net emissions farther than what they have achieved through their efforts to conserve energy and use renewable energy. Carbon offsets may be purchased from a variety of commercial and non-commercial organizations for $0.11 to US$20.00 per metric ton of CO2. The fossil fuel usage of one average resident of the United States produces 20 metric tons (= 22 American tons = 44,000 pounds) of carbon dioxide per year (in other words, annual carbon dioxide emissions per capita); other countries range from 0 to 23 metric tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions per capita. The world average is 4.0 metric tons, the developed country average is 12.9 metric tons, and the developing country average is 2.2 metric tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions per capita. Carbon offset providers often provide a "carbon calculator" to estimate a person's or business's carbon dioxide emissions arising from consumption of fossil fuels — a sort of ecological footprint for global warming."

More resources:
How top companies are reducing emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_50/b3963401.htm

Backgrounder on Carbon Offsets http://www.climatebiz.com/sections/carbonoffsets.cfm
Using Carbon Offsets to Neutralize Your Emissions http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/What_You_Can_Do/carbon_neutral.asp
Carbon Emissions Offset Directory http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/carbon_offset_wind_credits_carbon_reduction.htm

On Your Mark, Offset, Go! http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/10/10/gies/
Are Carbon Offsets More Than Hot Air? http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/005497.html
Pittsburgh Solutions to Global Warming http://www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/for_communities/cacp/Pittsburgh.php