I just got this email from Democracy for America (DFA). They are working to not just talk the talk, but working on walking the walk. They want their members to choose from three different wind farms and one dairy farm methane producer. The money from the carbon offsets will be used to help fund these projects.
What a great idea. Invest future energy spending toward renewable energy with Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). I like the idea of creating wind farms to help poor communities eliminate their need to burn fossil fuels and to help them by buying their excess electricity.
Dear Reader
I’m the accountant at Democracy for America. I keep the books and make sure everything balances. But there is more to balance than just money. We also have to balance our work with the effect it has on Global Warming.We all contribute to global warming. We drive. We fly. It’s likely the electricity your computer uses comes from a coal burning power plant. Every day we pump pollutants like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere — and those greenhouse gasses are causing our planet to overheat.
Thankfully, there is something we can do about it.
We can invest in renewable energy sources like solar and wind power to reduce our dependency on the types of power generation that cause the most pollution. Starting this month, Democracy for America is investing in carbon offsets to offset our “carbon footprint.” There are four projects under consideration. Can you help choose where to invest?
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/dfagoesgreen
Your “carbon footprint” is a calculation of your impact on the environment, measured by the greenhouse gasses your activities — like driving to work, heating your home, and flying on a vacation — produce.
We calculated DFA’s carbon footprint by reviewing our energy bills and calculating our commutes. We also audited the flights of all our staff, trainers and consultants. DFA may not be able to completely eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels. But we can invest in renewable energy projects that cut down on carbon emissions in the United States.
Democracy for America is investing in four renewable energy projects that are under construction. There are wind farms in Alaska, Minnesota and South Dakota. And in Pennsylvania there is a dairy farm methane project. Now it is up to you to decide how much we should invest in each project. Please vote for your favorite project at:
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/dfagoesgreen
Thank you for helping me — and DFA — balance the books,
Eileen Cleland
AccountantP.S. Our partner in going carbon neutral is NativeEnergy. They provided the carbon offsets for Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth. They’ve also worked with the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation, Dave Matthews Band and Levi Strauss & Co. They know their stuff. You can learn more about carbon offsets here:
DFA is also supporting a movie to be viewed at different places. The movie is called Killowatt Ours and I am going to go see it at someone’s home on April 19th. I will have a review then.
Of course, not everyone who is interested in alternative energy may be interested in a progressive grass roots organization inspired by Governor Howard Dean. But I will report good ideas from anyone.
Hmm. Anytime the word “democracy” or “democrat” is used, I lose my confidence and trust. It all sounds good, but we will have to see how things pan out, eh?