[Coral-List] one crazy idea lacks documentation

Judith Lang jlang at riposi.net
Mon Sep 10 10:29:15 EDT 2012


Hello again everyone,
Many thanks to: 
Quenton Dokken, for pointing out that individual accountability for carbon releases extends beyond traveling to reefs and, especially for recreational divers, includes coastal development associated with the tropical tourism industry.

Dennis Hubbard, for explaining how difficult it is for educational institutions to achieve climate neutrality, and the challenges of investing in carbon offsets in faraway lands.  For those who are interested, accounts of the Oberlin Project  can be found at a number of online sources, including:
	www.oberlinproject.org/
	http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/04/06/207826/the-oberlin-project-and-full-spectrum-sustainability/
	www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201209/coolschools/cool-schools-david-orr-oberlin.aspx

I have heard from several heroic Europeans who purchase carbon credits to offset their personal travel from programs that they trust. And several North Americans have described their substantial efforts, and the expenses involved, in reducing carbon emissions at home.

But I've had no response to my request for information about any entity that's offsetting the carbon emissions of professional travel for diving on reefs.  I can't even confirm that it occurs at any of the few groups that previously I'd informally been told routinely do so! Apparently my "crazy  hope" of being able to provide some "ammunition" to those who wish to request the same respect for the environment from their employers or funders has failed.

Serious change is seldom easy or cheap–as exemplified by the related discussions about Germany's power economy and about consumption levels in technologically advanced countries versus population levels and aspirations in rapidly developing nations.

Judy Lang


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