Carbon Offsetting has drawn a lot of fire and praise in the past from all sides. Some call it a scam or greenwashing, but I think with the right organizations involved it is a worthy option at least for now. Virgin America has chosen to partner with CarbonFund.org and turned to the EDF (Environmental Defense Fund) for ideas on which projects to contribute to. Here are two of the projects that were picked:
• Inland Empire Utilities Agency Biodigester, a methane capture project that creates clean, renewable energy and reduces more than 8,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year, while also protecting the quality of the region’s groundwater. The project is located in Chino Basin, Calif.
• IdleAire, a truck stop electrification project that reduces tailpipe emissions from trucks by connecting truck cabins with electricity at rest stops and eliminating the need to keep engines running for power. This approach saves a gallon of diesel per hour.
The IdleAire project is extremely interesting to me and has already been proven to work in other channels such as tankers and cargo ships. I cannot applaude Virgin America enough for their continued support of the environment.
Why do I support a company who is in one of the dirtiest businesses around? Because they’re trying to make a difference in the business that they’re involved in. Not just because of PR stunts or because government mandates, but because they care all the way to the core of their brand. In 2006 Richard Branson pledged the next 10 years of profits from Virgin Air and Rail companies to the environmental investment in his company Virgin Fuel to the tune of $3billion dollars to research alternative fuels that do not upset the food levels of the world.
I’m interested to see what comes out of the projects of the partnership between Virgin America and CarbonFund.org. Aren’t you?
Source: CarbonFund.org Press Release
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Great analysis of the partnership Jason. We at Carbonfund.org are very pleased to be partnering with Virgin because they are helping people take responsibility for their carbon footprint and demonstrating that environmental stewardship and a good business model go hand in hand. We look forward to continuing to help Virgin America and other companies find solutions so everyone can fight global warming today.
Thanks again,
Paul Burman
Special Projects Manager
Carbonfund.org
December 8th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Thank you very much Paul. I appreciate you coming by and what Carbonfund.org offers as a service to businesses. I will be watching Carbonfund.org and hope help keep our readers up to date on what’s going on over there.