Denver Launches Online Carbon Calculator
Just in time for thousands of delegates, press, politicians, staffers, and protesters descending on the city, Denver’s Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) last week launched an online carbon calculator to help those coming to the Mile-High City figure out just what the environmental impact of their visit might be. The Carbon Calculator and Offset Program allows travelers, tourists, and event planners an easy way to calculate the tons of CO² emissions their trip will produce, determines the amount of carbon credits necessary to offset their trip, and directs users to a website where they can purchase the recommended amount of offsets.
“Green is the new ‘gold’ of the convention industry,” said Richard Scharf, president & CEO of the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. “A recent study of meeting planners found that one in three have been told by their delegates to only meet in green destinations and one in four said that if all else is equal, they will meet in the greenest destination. The same study found Denver to be one of the top three greenest cities and we want to continue to work on that reputation, while expanding everything we can do to be environmentally responsible. The Carbon Calculator gives us an opportunity to work with convention groups and delegates to help them reduce their carbon footprint,” Scharf said.
The offsets are done through Canary Tags, the first offset program in the US created by a municipal or state government; in this case, the City of Aspen. The entire portfolio of investments directed by Canary Tags are local or regional projects within 500 miles of Aspen. The porfolio contains projects such as coal methane capture at a mine in Utah, solar projects at local schools, solar hot water projects for home and businesses, and an energy efficiency project in the local marketplace.
I tried the carbon calculator, figuring the impact of a direct, round-trip flight from St Louis, 200 miles of driving, 50 miles of public transit, and three nights in a hotel. Theoretically, I was envisioning a ski trip to Summit County. My offsets ended up costsing $9.88, which was for about half a ton of emissions. However, seeing as many people visit Denver and the surrounding areas to ski or snowboard, I’d like to see an additional element for offsetting those activities–lifts and the other equipment needed to maintain runs don’t power themselves.
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