Green Options » TerraPass

Responsible Travel

Lucille Chi — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:09:32 +0000

In recent posts we’ve covered feel good travel from sexy eco hideaways to green goddess retreats, which all in all, really got me curious about finding more ways to travel responsibly. Looking over the research I found Responsible Travel is the best bet for ecotourism:

We’ve hand-picked inspiring holidays from over 270 tour operators (and 100s of places to stay) to save you time. All the companies are specialists in their chosen fields, the best at what they do, and run by passionate people who care about your holiday and about the environment and local people.

Responsible Travel has also partnered with Climate Care to help offset the trips taken. CarbonFund, Terra Pass, and Fly Neutral are all worth considering seeing that the average flight pollutes roughly seventeen hundred pounds of CO2 per person into the stratosphere. This scientific fact is frightening, and with this new knowledge comes responsibility.

So if you are living for an escape to the #1 eco-retreat located within the Fiji Islands (and created by Jean-Michel Cousteau), but worried about dumping over four thousand pounds of CO2 per passenger to get to Figi, please consider some of the awesome offsetting options we’ve listed above.

I mage by Jose Manuel licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 License.

(D)emocracy: Your Chance to Chime-in on Carbon Offset Projects

Timothy B. Hurst — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:34:45 +0000

Last month, the Federal Trade Commission conducted hearings and convened a workshop for scientists, economists, environmental activists and representatives of the leading American retailers of ‘carbon offsets’ and ‘renewable energy credits’ (RECs) to learn more about the rather opaque business models and practices of some companies.

Though the hearings were only exploratory in nature, the FTC was able to address some of the concerns and misgivings the public has about unregulated voluntary carbon markets. The FTC also raised their concern about the validity of some companies’ advertising claims (for an excellent analysis of the carbon-offset hearings, read the piece by Jeremy Elton Jacquot for TreeHugger). In short, people want to see what they get and get what they pay for - and in the world of renewable energy credits and carbon offsets, this can be a tricky prospect.

In response to these hearings, and in an effort to legitimize the fledgling offset and REC industries, carbon offset retailer TerraPass has decided to democratize. By opening up a comment period for seven particular carbon-offset projects, TerraPass has decided to build-in an added layer of transparency to make their enterprise a little less hazy. I applaud TerraPass for this move forward. And I am totally fine if it is purely profit driven.

As companies strive to stay in the black of their ‘triple bottom line’ I hope we will be seeing more of these democratic experiments in the private sector. You don’t have to be a ’stockholder’ to make a comment, just a stakeholder. And when we’re talking climate change, it seems that everyone is a stakeholder. According to the company:

“We welcome comments from our customers, from anyone familiar with the projects themselves, from policy experts, and from the general public.

If you have any feedback for us regarding these projects – their environmental records, the importance of TerraPass support to project success, or anything else, please provide it via email.”

Photo Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency

Enterprise Rent-a-Car Moves Towards a Greener Business Model: Part 2

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:58:18 +0000

Last week, I began to take a look at some of the environmental initiatives underway at St. Louis-based Enterprise Rent-a-Car (which also own National and Alamo). While my discussion with VP of Corporate Responsibility and Communications Pat Farrell, and VP of Public Relations Christine Conrad, involved all five of the current “planks” in the company’s environmental platform, we were there to focus on its most recent announcement: customers could now purchase carbon offsets when reserving a vehicle by phone, or through the company’s web site.

The offset program with Terrapass started just over a month ago, with the company officially announcing it on January 15th. To its surprise, the program gained popularity before the official announcement: after the soft launch on January 1st, an average of 1000 customers a day were buying the $1.25 offset option. I did ask Pat about the controversy surrounding offsets: was this simply a way to make drivers feel better about doing the things they always do? Are they simply green “indulgences?” He told me,

That’s why the offset program is the fifth of the five planks in our platform. I often equate offsets with ‘marking time’ or ‘marching in place’: you’re doing something, but not necessarily moving forward. So, if that’s all you’re doing, that would make me uncomfortable. If you’re using them in combination with other solutions, though, that makes sense.
Read more of this story »

Enterprise Rent-a-Car Moves Towards a Greener Business Model: Part 1

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:52:07 +0000

Last September, when discussing a new tool for vehicle fleet managers to determine the environmental impact of purchases, I made a quick reference to efforts by the rental car industry to “green” their fleets. At the time, I’d seen a number of press releases touting these efforts, particularly commitments to purchasing vehicles that produced lower levels of emissions. I remember thinking that I should reach out to St. Louis-based Enterprise Rent-a-Car to find out more about their efforts; unfortunately, thinking was as far as I got.

I got the chance to rectify that situation when I met with Pat Farrell, Enterprise’s VP of Corporate Responsibility and Communications, and Christine Conrad, VP of Public Relations, two weeks ago over lunch. While the focus of our discussion was the company’s new offering of carbon offsets (in partnership with Terrapass) to customers renting by phone or through the company’s website, Pat and Christine also wanted to discuss the range of environmental initiatives Enterprise had taken in recent years. These have included:

Greening its fleet: The company (which also includes National and Alamo) now owns 73,000 flex-fuel vehicles, and 4000 hybrids. Over 237,000 of its 1.1 million vehicles average at least 32 miles per gallon, and 264,000 have earned EPA Smartway certification.

Contributing to Biofuels Research: Last year, the Taylor Family, which owns the company, donated $25 million to create the Institute for Renewable Fuels at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

Conservation Efforts: Enterprise’s charitable foundation has committed to plant 50 million trees over the next fifty years in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation (though will not use these trees for offset credits)

Carbon Offsetters Not Always Taking Easy Way Out

Maria Surma Manka — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 12:56:45 +0000

The debate about carbon offsets rages on: Are they a true solution to encourage investment in clean, renewable energy and offset dirty fossil fuels? Or are they indulgences of the privileged that allow us to keep on with our polluting ways and a clear conscience?

TerraPass is a popular, for-profit seller of carbon offsets. They’ve leapt into the limelight with strategic partnerships like the one at Expedia.com, which allows customers booking travel reservations to also purchase carbon offsets to cancel out their transportation emissions. But this popularity has also made TerraPass a frequent target of carbon offset skeptics who argue that their customers use them for nothing more than a sort of "get out of polluting free" card.

So the company decided to take a close look at its customer base itself, and just completed a survey that examined customer behaviors and attitudes towards energy. Among the results, the company found the "indulgence factor" to be untrue among their customers.

While Terra Pass customers are buying carbon offsets to counteract their unavoidable dirty activities like driving a car, they are balancing it with other direct action and changes to their own lives. In general, they are doing much more than the average person is to make their lives clean and efficient, and carbon offsets are a component of that. For example, 64 percent have installed compact fluorescent light bulbs (personally, I think CFLs should be a requirement before you’re even allowed to buy offsets), 26 percent take public transportation to work, 6 percent have solar panels, 50 percent have contacted their elected official about global warming, and 69 percent contribute to "green" organizations.

Are offsets a "get out of polluting free" card? Not always. But whether you decide to purchase offsets yourself, first take a hard look at the immediate changes you can make to your own life. Energy efficiency measures are often the cheapest, fastest, and easiest way to shrink your own carbon footprint.

Los Angeles Times
TerraPass

Also on GO:

The Green Options Interview: Erik Blachford, CEO of Terrapass

Tip o’ the Day: Offset Your Summer Travel

Amy Stodghill — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:12:09 +0000

If you're flying or driving to your vacation destination offset those CO2 emissions your trip generates by purchasing carbon credits.

First you'll need to calculate how much you'll need to buy. There are a number of carbon calculators out there, but if you're looking to figure out your emissions for a single trip check out TerraPass or Carbonfund.org. Unlike other carbon calculators that help you find your yearly carbon footprint, these two sites offer simple per trip calculators. After a couple of clicks, you'll find out the approximate CO2 emissions of your trip and can then easily purchase credits. UK based climatmundi is good for international, country hoppers.

Some airlines are already getting into the travel offset realm, like Scandinavian Airline SAS, and travel website Expedia which recently partnered with TerraPass to give customers the option of offsetting their travel at the time of checkout.

Why offset? Global warming of course! In her post, Introduction to Carbon Credits, GO's Maria Surma Manka sums it up pretty well:

Carbon dioxide (CO2) – a major contributor to global warming – is emitted when we drive, when we fly, or when we flip the light switch (if the electricity comes from fossil fuels, which most of it does). We’re moving slowly toward a renewable energy system, but not fast enough for a lot of us. So one way to cut through the bureaucratic mess holding back 60 mpg vehicles and lots of clean electricity is to become carbon neutral yourself…

One can invest in an organization, activity, or event that reduces the carbon dioxide spewing into the atmosphere. Carbon credits range from tree planting (trees absorb or “breathe” carbon dioxide) to donating to an organization that develops solar ovens in Africa that don’t need to burn wood (and release carbon) to cook food.

And remember you can win wind credits to offset your daily CO2 emissions by suggesting a Tip o' the Day.

Amy says: I just took a trip to Seattle from NYC. According to the TerraPass calculator my 4,807 mile flight was equal to 1,874 lbs of CO2. For $9.95 I was able to offset my trip. The $9.95 covers 2,500 lbs of CO2 - so the extra should cover my transport to and from the airports.

More from Maria Surma Manka on Carbon Credits:

Introduction to Carbon Credits

Options for Calculating Your Carbon Offsets

The Green Options Interview: Eric Carlson of Carbonfund.org

The Green Options Interview: Erik Blachford, CEO of TerraPass

The Green Options Interview: Erik Blachford, CEO of TerraPass

Maria Surma Manka — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 12:46:07 +0000

Erik Blachford is the new CEO of TerraPass, a carbon offset company. When a consumer buys a carbon offset to offset the emissions from their driving, a trip, or even a wedding, TerraPass uses that money to fund renewable energy products.

Erik has never been a full-time environmentalist, although he is member of a few national organizations. In a former life he was the CEO of Expedia, although he left the company before its partnership with TerraPass was established. Erik is excited about the new venture, explaining on a recent blog post,

“Back in Internet pre-history, at the dawn of online travel, nobody knew you could even check airline ticket prices online, much less book tickets. Now almost half of all travel is booked online. I think we’re at the beginning of another explosion in consumer awareness, this time in the voluntary carbon markets.”

I spoke with Erik by phone on May 25th.

Green Options: How do you respond to carbon offset skeptics? For example, the argument that offsets are just an easy way for people to pay off their pollution without much sacrifice.

Erik Blachford: I hear that argument a lot, but it’s not accurate as to what TerraPass does. People who buy carbon offsets aren’t just sitting back afterwards and thinking they’ve done their duty. These people are active in other ways, too: they’re very in tuned to the problem and the other solutions. Furthermore, carbon offsets are a voluntary enterprise; no one is forcing someone to buy carbon offsets.

However, there is also a lot of talk about common umbrella standards for carbon offsets, and I think TerraPass and our customers would be better served with them. Our industry needs consumer protection standards. Right now it’s unregulated, and the consumer has to be very cautious. Consumers are taking the initiative and doing the research on which carbon offset programs are legitimate, but they shouldn’t be expected to do all of the work.

GO: What makes TerraPass different from other carbon offset companies?

EB: Terra Pass focuses on helping the individual consumer reduce emissions, rather than only large corporations. We want to help individuals take action to reduce their carbon footprint. We’re also very accessible. The company has a blog where we can communicate with customers and get their feedback and ideas.

GO: You support a number of different renewable energy and efficiency projects. Why did TerraPass get involved in biomass? You don’t see that as a carbon offset very often.

EB: It’s great to be able to work with biomass providers. Energy from biomass is produced by capturing methane from sources like cow manure and burning it. We’ve set up contracts with them, buy credits and register them on the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). We are very careful to ensure that our carbon offsets are not counted twice.

GO: I don’t see tree planting – a very popular offset – as a TerraPass option. Why not?

EB: Trees plantings are popular offsets because they’re intuitively appealing. But the science doesn’t hold up enough for us to sell them. Some science is based on the average age of a tree being 80-100 years, but that’s just not always the case. And when the tree dies and rots, that carbon dioxide goes back into the atmosphere. There are some carbon offset programs that focus on the conservation of forests rather than tree planting, and that’s an interesting avenue that TerraPass may explore in the future.

GO: What percentage of carbon offset costs goes to the projects?

EB: We don’t break that out, because we don’t think offsets are commodity products, which is what that kind of breakout would imply. We are more focused on our pricing to consumers, which is competitive though not rock bottom, because it reflects the work we put into researching our projects thoroughly and sticking to principles like matched maturity of credits. We could probably sell offsets for a lower price if we we’re willing to sell credits from previous or future years, to buy blind on the CCX, or to buy forestry projects, but we have decided not to do any of those.

GO: How do you assure customers that their money is making a real difference?

EB: We make sure that the customer knows what we’re doing. We publish a verification report each year and we use three protocols to verify our credits: Green-e certifies our wind power projects, SES certifies our biomass, and First Environment certifies our landfill gas projects.

GO: What are some challenges and advantages of the U.S. carbon market?

EB: The U.S. didn’t sign onto the Kyoto Protocol, so one challenge is that the idea of carbon offsets is still fairly new here. There’s a general awareness of the issue, but carbon offsets still feel more exotic to people than they really are. It’s just a lack of awareness that we need to work on.

However, an advantage is that the American consumer is generally very open to new ideas and is very action-oriented. They want to take responsibility and do something, so the mindset of the consumer is right for a carbon offset market.

GO: TerraPass is well-known for its relationship with Expedia. How do you see that relationship evolving?

EB: We’ve got a great relationship with Expedia. It gets our brand out there and we look forward to continuing our relationship.

GO: I’ve got to say, it’s difficult to find the TerraPass option on Expedia’s site. It kind of gets lost in the shuffle of offers for car rentals and zoo passes.

EB: Expedia has many different lists of add-ons for their trips, so TerraPass is lumped with many other options. But we’re really happy to have the brand out there.

GO: If you could partner with any other company or entity, who would it be?

EB: That’s a really good question, but my answer is going to sound really funny. I really want to partner with the federal government. Global warming and emission reductions are a national problem. We need federal action and federal standards to solve it.

Image source: Zimbio