Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
Large events like the OFN Conference can be a major source of carbon emissions. Anytime a number of people congregate at an event, carbon emissions are produced which translate into a measurable carbon footprint. Air travel, vehicle travel, electricity usage, and paper usage all result in the release of these harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
The OFN 2010 Conference generated an estimated 516 metric tons of carbon emissions:
- 2,525,000 air miles = 449 metric tons
- 1,730 nights stay at hotels = 59 metric tons
- 2.5 days of electricity use for the conference space= 8 metric tons
This tonnage was reduced by purchasing forest carbon offsets, which preserved approximately 67 Douglas-fir trees in Pacific Northwest working forests.
This year OFN will offset the emissions from all Conference attendees’ lodging, meals, paper, and electricity usage at the Conference, as well as OFN staff travel. Five dollars ($5.00) of each Conference attendee’s registration fee will be used to offset these emissions.
We invite Conference attendees to make an additional contribution to reduce the carbon footprint created by their individual air travel to and from the conference. We make it simple by providing the cost of carbon offsets for travel to/from major airports around the country.
Here’s an example of how carbon offset costs are calculated: A roundtrip flight between Los Angeles and Minneapolis/St. Paul is 3,065 miles and emits .5 tons of carbon emissions. The cost of carbon offsets for this roundtrip air travel is $17.50 per ton x .5 tons = $8.75.
With $5 from each registration fee plus additional voluntary contributions, OFN will purchase high-quality carbon offsets that will enable forestland in Kentucky and the Pacific Northwest to be managed and preserved for generations to come.
High-quality forest carbon offsets ensure our forest dependent communities survive. They promote tenure of small family-owned forests, support rural jobs, and enhance ecological function. They provide new income opportunities that encourage forest owners to increasingly decide to take better care of their forests. In turn the forests increase carbon storage, as well as provide a multitude of co-benefits. The environmental co-benefits include increased water quality and quantity, soil quality and conservation, and protection and restoration of biodiversity. The community economic co-benefits are increased demand for new forestry skills and jobs for local people.
OFN is proud to partner with two OFN Members, MACED and Enterprise Cascadia, to purchase forest carbon offsets from the Appalachian Carbon Partnership and NNRG NW Neutral. Both organizations work with forests that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or the American Tree Farm System.
