[sustran] Keep Driving...

[Eric Britton]

Anzir Boodoo

 

On 29 Aug 2006, at 07:02, João Lacerda wrote:

> I am very curious to know some thoughts of our British friends 

> concerning this issue. (see article below)

 

João,

 

So, it's OK to use your car as much as you want, because it's now 

carbon neutral. So there is no environmental reason to stop using 

your car...

 

Problems:

 

1. Carbon emission offsets are no longer considered environmentally 

equivalent to burning less fuel in the first place

 

2. An average aggregate of CO2 emitted takes no account of whether 

the car burning the fuel is a Prius or a Hummer

 

3. Likewise, emissions in urban areas with heavy traffic probably 

have much higher direct impacts than in open rural areas where they 

can dissipate quickly. Of course, this is also ignoring the 

interaction between emissions and atmospheric conditions... the 

impact of a unit of CO2 emission can vary depending on where it is 

emitted.

 

4. This also ignores CO, NOx and SOx. So even if you are carbon 

neutral, CO is not friendly, and NOx and SOx are still not neutral.

 

5. If a significant number of people signed up to this, would there 

be enough space to plant the trees? GBP 20 a year seems far too low 

to me... I assume saplings (small trees) do not soak up huge amounts 

of CO2, so it will take many years for the full effect of the "carbon 

sink" to work... in this period of years, what happens to the CO2 

that is in the atmosphere, and is it recoverable by the trees in 

10-20 years from now?

 

6. How does this work in terms of Kyoto? Or is everyone quietly 

forgetting that now (forgive me for being rude and actually being 

bothered about the whole thing...)

 

7. If everybody is happy to drive their cars when and where they want 

(since it's now "carbon neutral"), will people ignore the effects of 

traffic (not just pollution, but stress and wasted time)?

 

I think it's an interesting start, but is it starting us in the right 

direction? After all, I assume BP only has a certain amount of fuel, 

which is going to run out soon...

 

 

BP Launches Carbon Neutral Scheme for Drivers

> http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=37818

 

UK: August 24, 2006

 

 

LONDON - British motorists will be able to neutralise their CO2 emissions by
paying an average 20 pounds a year towards offsetting their pollution after oil
company BP launched a new Internet scheme on Wednesday.

 

 

Drivers will be able to calculate their annual CO2 emissions using the
www.targetneutral.com Web site and help fund environmental projects like wind
farms.

 

An average car, driven 10,000 miles a year, will generate about four tonnes of
CO2, about enough to fill a medium-sized hot air balloon. To neutralise this
amount of carbon emissions would cost about 20 pounds.

 

"Targetneutral is a practical and straightforward step that BP is taking to
enable drivers to help the environment," said BP's UK Director Peter Mather.

 

"BP is taking the lead because our extensive research shows that there is a huge
consumer demand for such a scheme, but a general feeling from customers that
they 'don't know where to start,'" he added in a statement.

 

Motorists' money from the targetneutral scheme, excluding VAT and payment
transaction costs, will be used to buy CO2 emission reductions via the purchase
of carbon credits. BP, which has provided the start-up funding and will pay for
running costs, will not receive any money.

 

The company will also make a direct contribution to targetneutral when motorists
using the scheme buy BP petrol using a Nectar loyalty card.

 

The money generated from targetneutral will be used for a range of environmental
projects including alternative and renewable energy -- such as biomass, wind
farms and methane capture schemes.

 

Offsetting schemes have become increasingly popular in recent years, but some
environmentalists are critical of them, saying reducing emissions should be the
top priority.

 

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