Shortly before I departed I made a comment to my friend, Leanne, about how my year of global exploration to "better myself" would also do great harm to the environment. While this fellowship is a great opportunity for me personally it also leaves me with a terrible carbon footprint. The ability of wealthier individuals (myself included by global standards) to travel the world contributes to global climate change which affect us all but disproportionately impacts those individuals with lower incomes who are also often members of other marginalized groups. This is an example of an environmental "externality," an economics term that descries "a cost or benefit which results from an activity or transaction and which affects an otherwise uninvolved party who did not choose to incur that cost or benefit." In social justice terms this also amounts to an enactment of environmental racism which "refers to the geographic relationships between environmental degradation and low income or minority communities, [wherein]... even if it’s not intentional, some groups, for a number of reasons, are more likely to be present in areas of environmental hazard and pollution than others." So, while the Bonderman Fellowship not only represents an additional level of privilege I enjoy, like all my privileges, it has an impact on all people who live in this interdependent global web. Pretty heavy news. Like, literally tons of CO2 heavy.
Leanne (who happens to be one of the most intentional and social justice minded people I know) suggested the idea of purchasing carbon offsets to help balance out the environmental impact of my travel. Carbon offsets usually represent a financial investment in projects that reduce greenhouse gases such as wind farms, biomass energy, or hydroelectric dams. They are used on a large scale to help corporations or governments comply with carbon emission caps instituted by regulatory policies. With growing environmental awareness a voluntary market for carbon offsets has emerged with organizations like CARBON FUND helping individuals, families, and smaller businesses "balance out the emissions you cannot reduce." Carbon Fund's website includes cleverly designed calculators to establish offsets for individuals based on home utility use and personal travel as well as general donation amounts which estimated carbon use each year or over the course of a lifetime.
For my travels as a Bonderman Fellow, I have decided to follow Leanne's advice and pay back some of the impact I am having on the world this year. Below are my calculations, taken from the Carbon Fund website, for my major travel events for which I will make a donation to support clean and renewable energy development and environmental conservation and restoration. Please consider visiting the website and learning about this innovative way to move toward a zero carbon lifestyle are read their tips on carbon reduction for your home, business, and travel.
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Bonderman Carbon Offset Calculations
Costa Rica
Bus: Bellingham to Seattle - 114 miles - 0.01 tons of CO2 - $0.09
Flight: Seattle to Miami - 2,737 miles - 0.51 tons of CO2 - $5.06
Flight: Miami to San Jose - 1,128 miles - 0.21 tons of CO2 - $2.09
Bus: Around Costa Rica - @ 1,000 miles - 0.09 tons of CO2 - $1.00
Bus: San Jose to Manuel Antonia, round trip - 378 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.31
Bus: San Jose to Puerto Viejo - 240 miles - 0.02 tons of CO2 - $0.20
Nicaragua
Bus: San Jose to Managua, round trip - 937 miles - 0.08 tons of CO2 - $0.77
Flight: Managua to Corn Island, round trip - 900 miles - 0.20 tons of CO2 - $2.06
Panama
Bus: Puerto Viejo to Bocas Del Toro - 84 miles - 0.01 tons of CO2 - $0.07
Bus: Bocas Del Toro to Pamama City - 644 miles - 0.05 tons of CO2 - $0.53
Brazil
Flight: Panama City to Bogota - 472 miles - 0.11 tons of CO2 - $1.08
Flight: Panama City to Sau Paulo - 2,710 miles - 0.50 tons of CO2 - $5.01
Bus: Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro - 473 miles - 0.04 tons of CO2 - $0.39
Bus: Rio de Janeiro to Belo Horizonte - 481 miles - 0.04 tons of CO2 - $0.39
Bus: Belo Horizonte to Brasilia - 455 miles - 0.04 tons of CO2 - $0.38
Bus: Brasilia to Salvador - 607 miles - 0.05 tons of CO2 - $0.49
Flight: Salvador to Sao Luiz via Recife and Fortaleza - 1,202 miles - 0.74 tons of CO2 - $7.43
Bus: Sao Luiz to Barreirinhas, round trip - 711 miles - 0.06 tons of CO2 - $0.58
Bus: Sao Luiz to Belem - 879 miles - 0.07 tons of CO2 - $0.72
Flight: Belem to Florianopolis - 1,827 miles - 0.34 tons of CO2 - $3.38
Bus: Florianopolis to Iguazu Falls - 597 miles - 0.05 tons of CO2 - $0.49
Bus: Iguazu Falls to Sao Paulo - 669 miles - 0.05 tons of CO2 - $0.55
United Arab Emirates
Flight: Sau Paulo to Abu Dhabi - 7,591 miles - 1.40 tons of CO2 - $14.04
Bus: Abu Dhabi to Sharjah, round trip - 427 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.35
India
Bus: Abu Dhabi to Sharjah, round trip - 427 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.35
Bus: Sharjah to Oman, round trip - 250 miles - 0.02 tons of CO2 - $0.20
Flight: Abu Dhabi to Mumbai - 1,232 miles - 0.23 tons of CO2 - $2.28
Bus: Mumbai to Anjuna - 636 miles - 0.05 tons of CO2 - $0.52
Bus: Mumbai to Anjuna - 636 miles - 0.05 tons of CO2 - $0.52
Bus: Anjuna to Palolem - 95 miles - 0.01 tons of CO2 - $0.08
Bus/Train: Palolem to Delhi- 1300 miles - 0.24 tons of CO2 - $2.39
Bus: Delhi to Dharamshala, round trip - 603 miles - 0.06 tons of CO2 - $0.66
Train: Delhi to Varanasi - 873 miles - 0.16 tons of CO2 - $1.62
Nepal
Flight: Delhi to Kathmandu - 1,018 miles - 0.23 tons of CO2 - $2.33
Bus: Kathmandu to Pokhara - 223 miles - 0.02 tons of CO2 - $0.18
Car: Pokhara to Besisahar - 120 miles - 0.01 tons of CO2 - $0.10
Car: Nayapul to Pokhara - 50 miles - 0.01 tons of CO2 - $0.04
Flight: Pokhara to Kathmandu - 92 miles - 0.24 tons of CO2 - $2.39
South Africa
Flight: Kathmandu to Cape Town - 6,135 miles - 1.13 tons of CO2 - $11.35
Car: Around Western Cape - 200 miles - 0.06 tons of CO2 - $0.60
Bus: Cape Town to Johannesburg (via Durban) - 2192 miles - 0.17 tons of CO2 - $1.78
Botswana/Zambia
Bus: Johannesburg to Gaborone - 396 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.32
Bus: Gaborone to Maun - 870 miles - 0.07 tons of CO2 - $0.73
Flight: Maun to Kasane - 187 miles - 0.05 tons of CO2 - $0.52
Car: Kasane to Livingston to Kasane to Livingston - 273 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.21
Namibia
Bus: Livingston to Windhoek - 1575 miles - 0.13 tons of CO2 - $1.29
Bus: Kisumu to Jinja - 261 miles - 0.02 tons of CO2 - $0.21
Car: Windhoek, Sesriem, Swakopmund, Windhoek - 1062 miles - 0.30 tons of CO2 - $3.06
Bus: Windhoek to Etosha National Park (round trip) - 1008 miles - 0.08 tons of CO2 - $0.82
Kenya
Flight: Windhoek to Nairobi (via Johannesburg) - 2552 miles - 0.49 tons of CO2 - $4.83
Bus: Nairobi to Kisumu - 396 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.32
Bus: Nairobi to Kisumu - 396 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.32
Uganda
Bus: Jinja to Kampala- 87 miles - 0.01 tons of CO2 - $0.07
Bus: Kampala to Masaka, round trip - 288 miles - 0.02 tons of CO2 - $0.24
Bus: Kampala to Masaka - 144 miles - 0.01 tons of CO2 - $0.12
Rwanda
Bus: Masaka to Kigali - 414 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.34
Bus: Kigali to Musanze, round trip - 204 miles - 0.02 tons of CO2 - $0.74
Turkey
Flight: Kigali to Istanbul, via Entebbe - 3066 miles - 0.59 tons of CO2 - $5.87
Bus: Istanbul to Goreme - 810 miles - 0.07 tons of CO2 - $0.66
Bus: Goreme to Antalya - 597 miles - 0.05 tons of CO2 - $0.49
Bus: Antalya to Fethiye - 325 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.27Flight: Kigali to Istanbul, via Entebbe - 3066 miles - 0.59 tons of CO2 - $5.87
Bus: Pammukale to Istanbul - 724 miles - 0.06 tons of CO2 - $0.59
Bulgaria
Bus: Istanbul to Plovdiv - 453 miles - 0.04 tons of CO2 - $0.37
Bus: Plovdiv to Sofia - 164 miles - 0.01 tons of CO2 - $0.13
Romania
Bus: Sofia to Bucharest - 384 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.31
Bus: Bucharest to Brasov, round trip - 409 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.33
AustriaBus: Sofia to Bucharest - 384 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.31
Bus: Bucharest to Brasov, round trip - 409 miles - 0.03 tons of CO2 - $0.33
Flight: Bucharest to Vienna - 521 miles - 0.12 tons of CO2 - $1.19
Germany
Flight: Vienna to Frankfurt - 389 miles - 0.09 tons of CO2 - $0.89
Car: Frankfurt to Berlin, round trip - 1214 miles - 0.36 tons of CO2 - $3.66
Netherlands
Train: Frankfurt to Amsterdam - 486 miles - 0.09 tons of CO2 - $0.90
France
Bus: Amsterdam to Paris - 551 miles - 0.04 tons of CO2 - $0.45
United Kingdom
Flight: Paris to London - 217 miles - 0.06 tons of CO2 - $0.60
Bus: London to Cardiff, round trip - 535 miles - 0.04 tons of CO2 - $0.44
Iceland
Flight: London to Keflavik - 1174 miles - 0.22 tons of CO2 - $2.17
Flight: London to Keflavik - 1174 miles - 0.22 tons of CO2 - $2.17
Bus: Keflavik to Reykjavik, round trip - 107 miles - 0.01 tons of CO2 - $0.09
Bus: Reykjavik to Grindavik, round trip - 114 miles - 0.01 tons of CO2 - $0.09
Car: Reykjavic to Hellissandur and Hofn, round trips - 935 miles - 0.27 tons of CO2 - $2.81
Flight: Keflavik to Seattle - 3644 miles - 0.67 tons of CO2 - $6.74
Train: Seattle to Bellingham - 98 miles - 0.02 tons of CO2 - $0.18
RUNNING TOTAL:
69,173 miles
35.90 tons CO2
$360.08 total carbon offset
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