carbonfootprint posts

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Oct 15th, 2009 at 3:30PM:
According to Carbonfund, with the amount of flying I do annually, I "produce" about 21,000 pounds of CO2 per year. If I want to make up for the environmental damage I've done, I can pay $125 to offset my carbon contribution.
But what does that really mean? How can paying $125 make the air cleaner or the ozone layer stronger? Where does that $125 go? Am I just paying to make myself feel ...

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Sep 18th, 2009 at 12:30PM: As of yesterday, passengers departing from San Francisco international airport can purchase carbon offset credits before taking their flight. The credits are called "Climate Passport", and they can be bought from electronic kiosks located throughout the airport. Each ton of carbon offsets costs $13.50, and a typical transcontinental flight spits out about 1.9 tons. Offsetting that will cost you ...

by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Jul 22nd, 2009 at 11:00AM: The 20th Annual Meeting of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) was held last month, with marine safety and the impact of travel on the Antarctic environment being the main topics of discussion. Attending members adopted measures that will hopefully ensure that travel to the region becomes safer, while also forming a working group to study ways to reduce the carbon ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Jul 6th, 2009 at 4:00PM: ... not Disney World!
Despite the theme park's claim, Costa Rica actually takes the top spot, according to the New Economics Foundation. This Britain-based independent research firm uses the "Happy Planet Index" to determine and rank the countries with the happiest people. The organization's goal is to build a new economy that focuses on people and the environment.
This year's survey covered ...

by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (5 months ago)
Jun 8th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Environmental tour company Ecoventura has promised to stop using fossil fuels on its vessels by 2015. Ecoventura runs environmentally conscious boat tours to the Galapagos Islands, a unique ecosystem that is under threat by climate change and tourism. "The Galapagos Islands rank right up there with the Amazon and the Serengeti as one of the richest and best known, yet fragile and threatened, ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (5 months ago)
Jun 3rd, 2009 at 3:00PM: "Green" has become yet another upscale offer for hotels and resorts around the world. The concept allows a premium to be charged – and justifiably so, given the increased expenses that come with minimizing environmental impact. Guests get to feel good when they indulge, and the hotel makes a few extra bucks. Everyone wins, right?
Well, it isn't that simple. Any environmentally friendly ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (7 months ago)
Apr 11th, 2009 at 3:00PM: 1. Green your flight Offset the carbon footprint created by your share of air travel, buy some carbon credits. Several websites can yelp you calculate your carbon footprint (such as TerraPass.com and ClimateCare.org), allowing you to take action. The offsets you buy will ensure that energy from renewable sources will be sent to the grid.
2. Book an environmentally friendly tour Intrepid Travel has ...

by Jamie Rhein (RSS feed) (11 months ago)
Dec 6th, 2008 at 11:30AM: Yesterday, Brenda posted about Hawaii's bicycle sharing system that should be in place by this coming summer. Bicycle sharing is just one way that Hawaii may be on the cutting edge of an alternative transportation system.
There is a plan underway to create a network of several stations where cars totally powered by batteries could be recharged. Batteries could also be "swapped" out at recharging ...

by Iva Skoch (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Apr 22nd, 2008 at 9:00AM: Paging through the Continental in-flight magazine last night, I stumbled upon a few "green living" tips. For example, did you know that:
If Americans used one less package of non-recycled paper napkins, it would save one million trees?
Ninety percent of the energy used by your washing machine goes to hear the water? Using the cold cycle is much better.
Producing and disposing of all the ...

by Abha Malpani (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Dec 4th, 2007 at 3:00PM: "Holy crap!" was my first reaction when I saw this sensational picture of Earthrace, the world's first 100% bio-diesel power boat that will circumnavigate the world early next year. Built at a cost of $3 million by New-Zealand skipper Pete Bethune, if it manages this undertaking in under 75 days (the previous record held by a British boat called Cable and Wireless in 1998), it will be the first ...