« Offsetting the CO2 We Release in Our Lives: An Action for Earth Day … and Beyond »

Here’s an Earth Day action OneEarth Jubilee recommends we all take to offset the CO2 we put into the air.

Some of us may be able to arrange life so that we use less energy produced by fossil fuels. Certainly, whatever way we can use less of that energy source is the way to go. But all of us have to travel some, heat or cool our homes, etc. Whatever amount we use, we can off-set the CO2 that fossil fuel puts into the atmosphere by planting trees to take CO2 out of the atmosphere. It’s not a perfect equation by any means. Trees take time to grow, and when they die they release CO2. But every day that trees grow they photosynthesize and remove CO2 from the air.

Here’s how it works. We use an internet calculator like http://www.carbonify.com/carbon-calculator.htm to calculate our monthly or annual emissions. By the way, that site will calculate our emissions from other sources in our lives, not only travel. It’s an Australian site that is dedicated to helping us find best choices in this era of rapid climate change. We know that without massive mobilization, the disasters we’re now experiencing only multiply.

The calculator will tell us how much to donate to off-set our fossil fuel use. We invite you to donate that amount to Jubilee Economics Ministries Tree Fund. Where you donate is important. Truth is, not all entities receiving these off-set donations are trustworthy. Every cent donated to the Jubilee Tree Fund will go to tree planting projects in one of three regions—San Diego, San Mateo (MX), San Cristobal (MX). You see, the Jubilee Circles in these areas are all committed as deeply as possible to OneEarth ways. Each one is connected to at least one tree-planting or reforestation project.

We need lots of actions to reduce CO2 in our atmosphere. In 2017, CO2 levels globally were at 405ppm (parts per million), well above the 350 ppm which is where we need to be to keep our planet stable. The last time CO2 in the air was as high as it is today was 3,000,000 years ago. It was a time when oceans were also 50 to 80 feet higher than today. Hard to imagine the flooding that such levels would bring to the world’s coasts today.

OneEarth Jubilee looks forward to partnering with you to value creation in this way.

Photo courtesy photos-public-domain.com

Comments

[Maryann Crea]

I used the carbon calculator which determined that out household should plant about 79 trees a year. However, I cannot find on your site a way to donate to the Tree Fund, nor how many trees my dollars would plant.