Well, I have completed my monster road trip and I am happy to be back home. I went to four conferences (and visited three clients) in four weeks, and put 2484 miles on my camper van which gets (gulp!) 13 mpg. According to the carbon calculator at NativeEnergy, I pumped almost two tons of carbon into the atmosphere on this jaunt.
So it’s time for me to be responsible and do my part to make up for this pollution, so that future generations can enjoy clean air, water, and a healthy environment. And given the seemingly limitless number of options that are available, I have made the choice to make a carbon offset donation to the The Nature Conservancy.
Why? Because I know the organization and trust them to make an honest effort to spend the money wisely. Also, they clearly suggest an appropriate donation of $20 per ton of CO2, where other choices I looked at weren’t as explicit about the link. I pumped out almost two tons, so that’s $40.
Don’t spend the windfall all in one place, TNC!
P.S. I can’t put my fingers on the study right this second, but very few people out there have any idea what “carbon neutral” means. Definitely belongs on the “Words That Don’t Work” list.
The time has arrived for me to explore the world of “carbon offsets” and I’m looking for advice on some good ways to do that. Here’s why: I am heading out today on a good old fashioned road trip — a big one — the boondocks, WV, Chicago, IL, Cleveland, OH, Portland, ME, and Atlantic City, NJ. I’m visiting clients and speaking at some fine events:
- 21st Annual National Conference Enhancing the States’ Lake Management Programs
- 2008 River Rally
- 2008 River Management Society Symposium
- 2008 National Water Quality Monitoring Conference
If you are going to be at any of these events, please introduce yourself.
It’s a lot of miles and a lot of pollution. I know there are organizations out there that can recommend an appropriate donation based on miles traveled, and will use that donation to plant trees or something like that. I have also heard vague rumors that some of these outfits are not legitimate.
So… do any of you have any recommendations?
You might be forgiven for believing that I had lost interest in Water Words That Work. After all, this is my first post since November. But in fact, the opposite is true.
The response to the blog was so amazing that I went back to the drawing board and rethought what this project is all about. The outcome is that Water Words the blog is now also Water Words That Work the company. I’ll continue to dispense free, useful advice to all who want it (and a few who might not be expecting it), but I am now also accepting clients who want more hands on assistance to “make a splash with their communications.”
Check out the redesigned blog (got a professional to do it this time around) for signs of things to come.
I’ll start by giving a big shout out to the first batch of clients who opened my eyes to Water Words as a business opportunity:
- Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
- Association of State Wetland Managers
- Biodiversity Project
- Chesapeake Bay Funders Network
- Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds
- National Park Service
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts
- Water Resources Education Network
Let me also tip my hat to the partners at Beaconfire Consulting, who have graciously agreed to let me continue as a part-time member of the staff of their fine company. Thanks for helping me avoid a painful either/or choice!
Happy July 4th! Do something fun!
I’ll have more episodes, interviews, critiques, guest posts, and other good stuff ready for you when you get back.
