REI Adventures - 100% carbon neutral travel
by Maureen @ 9:15 am 1 comment »
Carbon dioxide emissions are the leading cause of global warming. REI Adventures is the first travel company to automatically offset the global warming impacts of its entire catalog of trips — including air travel to and from the trip destination. Although I don’t believe that buying carbon offsets is a solution to our big picture problems, if you’re trying to figure out how to travel on holiday with less guilt over the big carbon footprint, REI might be just the ticket for you.
Outdoor retailer Recreational Equipment, Inc (REI) and its adventure travel company, REI Adventures are partnered with Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) to compensate for the greenhouse gas impact of all REI Adventures trips and REI Outdoor School outings. BEF is a leading nonprofit environmental foundation that markets green power products, and funds new renewable energy projects.
Here’s the deal:
As of this year, REI Adventures purchases BEF Green Tags, or renewable energy credits, to offset the greenhouse gas impacts of air, water and ground travel associated with all excursions. BEF Green Tags are created when renewable energy such as solar and wind power are substituted to local utilities for energy generated by burning fossil fuels which are linked to global warming. Each BEF Green Tag offsets the carbon produced by 1,030 miles of air travel, and is equivalent to 1,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy.
REI Adventures expects to purchase more than 52,000 BEF Green Tags in the coming year, offsetting more than 36,000 tons of carbon dioxide. Climb, cruise, paddle, hike, heli-ski, raft, cycle with REI’s trips around the world.
For additional information about REI Adventures carbon-neutral travel program, visit www.reiadventures.com or www.greenadventures.org. Comprehensive information about REI’s stewardship efforts is available on www.rei.com in the “About REI” section.
Beyond travel, BEF is offering REI customers the opportunity to purchase BEF Green Tags to offset the environmental impacts of the energy they use in their homes and for commuting. In return, customers will receive a $20 REI Gift Card from BEF for a Green Tag purchase of $120 or more, and a $40 REI Gift Card for a purchase of $200 or more. To buy Green Tags through the REI Adventures/BEF offering, visit www.greenadventures.org or link from www.rei.com/adventures. The activities of an average U.S. household can result in more than 35,000 pounds of CO2 and other pollutants each year.
All BEF Green Tags are 100 percent Green-e certified by the Center for Resource Solutions. This independent, nonprofit, third-party organization administers the Green-e Renewable Electricity Certification Program, ensuring that the products it certifies meet specific product and quality standards.
Since 1987, REI Adventures has offered active travel vacations featuring climbing, cycling, hiking, rafting, skiing/snowboarding and multi-sport excursions, including adventure travel cruises, to all corners of the globe. REI Adventures caters to active travelers of all abilities with more than 100 small-group trips worldwide, including weekend getaways. All REI Adventures trips include the finest in outdoor gear and expert local guides who go off the beaten path to provide travelers with unique experiences down wilderness trails and cultural back-roads.
About REI
REI is an outdoor retail co-op dedicated to inspiring, educating and outfitting its 2.8 million active members for a lifetime of outdoor adventure. Founded in 1938 by a group of Pacific Northwest mountaineers seeking quality equipment, REI operates retail stores nationwide, two online stores – REI.com and REI-OUTLET.com – and an adventure travel company, REI Adventures. REI offers products from all of the top brands for human-powered outdoor recreation, including its own line of award-winning gear and apparel. While anyone may join or shop at REI, members pay a one-time $15 fee and receive a share in the company’s profits through an annual member refund based on their purchases.
About Bonneville Environmental Foundation
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was established in 1998 to restore watershed ecosystems and further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sales of green power products such a Green Tags, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and support new renewable energy products from solar, wind and biomass. BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 2000 and has helped establish national standards for certification and trading. www.b-e-f.org or www.GreenTagsUSA.org.
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Hey, I saw that you had mentioned offsets and I wanted to let you know that there is a new report published this last week on the offsets industry, The Carbon Neutral Myth - Offset Indulgences for your Climate Sins. Free download from http://www.tni.org
Carbon offsets are the modern day indulgences, sold to an increasingly carbon conscious public to absolve their climate sins. Scratch the surface, however, and a disturbing picture emerges, where creative accountancy and elaborate shell games cover up the impossibility of verifying genuine climate change benefits, and where communities in the South often have little choice as offset projects are inflicted on them.
This report argues that offsets place disproportionate emphasis on individual lifestyles and carbon footprints, distracting attention from the wider, systemic changes and collective political action that needs to be taken to tackle climate change. Promoting more effective and empowering approaches involves moving away from the marketing gimmicks, celebrity endorsements, technological quick fixes, and the North/South exploitation that the carbon offsets industry embodies.