HeraldNet: State delegation leaving no footprints in Denver



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The Petri Dish

August 26, 2008

State delegation leaving no footprints in Denver

Posted at 12:57 pm by Jerry Cornfield

Washington’s 110 Democratic Party delegates and alternates at the national convention can claim they will have no net negative effect on the nation’s environment this week.

Through a party-fostered challenge, they bought into alternative energy projects at a high enough level to offset the amount of pollution-causing carbon dioxide created by their travel to, from and all around Denver.

Here’s how it worked.

The Democratic National Party figured delegates and alternates would generate one ton of carbon dioxide each. This is the math for that number.

Delegates could buy one ton of carbon offsets for $7.50; pay more and offset more.

Delegates with a little help from IBEW Local 77 ended up buying 123 tons. All the money is going to NativeEnergy, a company that builds Native American, farmer-owned, community based renewable energy projects.

Portions of the money will go to wind turbine projects in Colorado and Minnesota, a methane gas plant at a dairy farm in Pennsylvania and a landfill gas-to-energy project in Illinois.

Delegates won’t come home empty handed. Each delegate\who offsets their travel will receive a “unique wearable green item,” according to the DNC.

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carbon credits
One of our Republican National Convention delegates from Woodinville is a leader in the carbon credit exchange business. (Standard Carbon)

Brendan Woodward even has a website where candidates can purchase carbon offsets so their campaign can be carbon neutral: http://carbonneutralpolitics.com

I know I'm risking the wrath of Jerry to post an article from another newspaper, but if you'll write a column on Brendan yourself then I can post a Herald link. :)

Here is a great story in the Times about Brendan: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2004428220_danny21.html
Chad Minnick | Sep 3, 2008 7:54 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

Your facts are wrong, Jerry

Washington’s 110 Democratic Party delegates and alternates at the national convention can claim they will have no net negative effect on the nation’s environment this week.

This is simply false, by any standard of reason, logic, and science.

Delegates could buy one ton of carbon offsets for $7.50; pay more and offset more.

But they actually did use carbon. A lot of it. Buying "offsets" does not, in fact, reduce the effect you have had. It -- in theory, and this is usually not verifiable, so it's silly to assume it's true -- reduces the effect SOMEONE ELSE has.

More often than not, though, it does not even do that, it simply pays someone to plant a tree or invest in technologies or research, which MAY SOMEDAY counteract the volume of CO2 you created.

Very occasionally, carbon offets involve actually capturing CO2 and removing it from the atmosphere *now.* But that's almost surely not happening here.

The most positive spin anyone could put on this is that the Democrats are paying money in the hopes that someday the CO2 they've left behind will be counteracted.

Them's the facts.
pudge | Aug 27, 2008 7:41 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

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