Dude, It’s an Offset
Dell is really slashing a path towards sustainability, or at least making strides in reducing technology’s gargantuan carbon footprint. The PC maker, which already announced free recycling of any Dell-branded products last June, has just announced a joint, global carbon-neutral initiative to offset the carbon dioxide produced when its customers rev up their computers. Starting in February, the program, called “Plant a Tree for Me,” will allow Dell purchasers to make a donation that will be used by two partner non-profits, The Conservation Fund and Carbonfund.org, to plant trees in sustainably managed forests. For $2 per laptop and $6 per desktop, you’ll get to offset (or neutralize) the climate impact of your PC for a period of three years. After that, you’re on your own.
Why plant trees? From the press release:
Native trees and forests help fight climate change as part of their natural processes. As they grow, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into oxygen. In addition to trapping the dangerous gases that cause climate change, these new forests help to protect water quality, restore wildlife habitat and enhance public recreation areas.
Considering we pay $20 per month to offset our household’s emissions, the donation amounts seem a bit on the low side (in my non-expert, math-challenged view), but Dell provides the following explanation for its figures:
Donation amounts are based on expected average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the production of electricity needed to power the systems over three years—for a notebook .42 tons and for a desktop 1.26 tons. The cost of the carbon offset is $4.75 per ton. It costs approximately $6.31 per tree planted. On average a tree will sequester 1.33 tons of CO2 over 70 years through the program. Thus, the offset donation required to neutralize the carbon impact for notebooks is $2 and $6 for desktops.
All you’ll have to do to take advantage of the new program is simply add the donation to your online shopping cart while you are configuring your system. BOO-YAH, YOU’VE BEEN OFFSET!
This doesn’t give you a Get Out of Jail Free card for those marathon World of Warcraft sessions, however, or for downloading movies on the down-low all day and night. You shouldn’t sweat the small stuff, but it’s always better to reduce first, then offset whatever you can’t.
Further resources:
1. “Do carbon offsets live up to their promise?” Christian Science Monitor
An estimated 220 tons of electronic waste is dumped in landfills and incinerators every year in the U.S. alone. Improper e-waste disposal means that toxic components, such as lead, mercury, and flame retardants, can leach inside landfills and contaminate our ground water, land, and air. Already comprising 2 to 5 percent of the American municipal solid waste stream, the amount of harmful and birth-defect-causing toxins we expose ourselves to continue to rise rapidly. So, if you can’t donate your unwanted tech to a school or charity, strongly consider recycling them, instead. You can punch in your zip code at Earth911.org or My Green Electronics to find out where you recycle just about anything, from dead car batteries to a junky fax machine. We even found a place to recycle our recalcitrant cordless phone, for free, which made our little cheapskate hearts leap for joy.
The Worsted Witch » Carbon Offset Your Wedding said,
February 16, 2007 at 1:39 pm
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