Carbon offsets factor into Winter Olympics
Posted by Rahul Chitrapu on Wed, Jan 27, 2010
The organizers of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are on a quest to host the first carbon-neutral Olympics, and they're asking spectators to kick in for the cause.
Vancouver 2010 is encouraging tourists traveling to the Olympic Games to purchase carbon offsets that fund sustainability projects. These credits help to eliminate the carbon footprint left by carbon dioxide that's produced when people drive or fly long distances. The organization estimates that spectators will be responsible for generating almost half of the carbon footprint left by the games.
Vancouver 2010 is partnering with Offsetters, a British Columbia, Canada-based carbon asset management company. The firm connects individuals and businesses with specific carbon-offset projects to which they can contribute. The Olympics organizers are directing all spectators to the Offsetters website at www.offsetters.ca to determine their carbon footprint and contribute accordingly.
The site features an offset calculator that allows travelers to select their departure city and destination, as well as whether they are flying or driving. The site then calculates the total trip emissions in metric tonnes, with a suggested cost of at least $20 per tonne of emissions. Offsetters also allows the travelers to select a specific project portfolio to choose from, with a mix of locally developed projects, international Voluntary Carbon Standard credits and Gold Standard credits.
The Games organizers have already made arrangements to offset direct carbon emissions for the Olympics, including those generated by venue construction and athletes' travel from around the world. Vancouver 2010 has also taken other steps to reduce harmful emissions by choosing strategic venue sites, approaching energy management with an emphasis on renewable resources, and pushing use of the city's expanded public transit system during the Games.
Photo via Miss Barabanov