OFFSETTING YOUR EXPEDITION FOOTPRINT

MAYBE CARBON OFFSETTING WORKS, MAYBE NOT, BUT USING LESS DIRTY COAL FOR COOKING IN CHINA IS A GOOD THING IN SO MANY OTHER WAYS IT’S STILL WORTH IT

CRAIG G, AUSTRALIA

WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO MAKING TRIPS SUSTAINABLE, NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME ALTERNATIVE AGENDA, BUT BECAUSE WE’VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS IN PLACES LIKE NEPAL & PAKISTAN WHEN YOU DON’T. FOR THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT HAVE FLOWED OUT TO THE BALTORO & KHUMBU FOR THE LAST FEW DECADES THE SUSTAINABILITY OF IT ALL SEEMS DISPROPORTIONATELY SMALL, AND DESPITE THE OUTSTANDING EFFORTS OF A FEW, NEW PROBLEMS MOSTLY JUST REPLACE OLD ONES.

NONE OF THAT HAS TO HAPPEN IN THE HIGH ALTITUDE WILDERNESSES OF XINJIANG & TIBET.

WE HAVE DONE LOT TO MAKE OUR TRIPS MINIMAL FOOTPRINT & SUSTAINABLE – MOSTLY BY SIMPLY NOT BUYING INTO THE MASS INDUSTRIAL MODEL THAT OTHER PLACES DO. WE PAY WAGES SO PEOPLE IN MARGINAL CULTURES CAN RETAIN THEIR TRADITIONS, WE USE NATIVE CAMELS TO TRANSPORT OUR GEAR INSTEAD OF LOW PAID MIGRANTS, WE RUN OUR BASECAMP POWER SUPPLIES ENTIRELY ON SOLAR, WE RUN THINGS WITH LOCAL RESOURCES & LOGISTICS. BUT THE ONE THING TEAM MEMBERS RIGHTLY POINT TO IS THE LONG DISTANCE TRANSPORT; THE FLIGHTS & THE ROAD TRANSPORT.

PHYSICALLY WE HAVE ADDRESSED WHAT WE CAN BY BASING FROM CITIES THAT REQUIRE MINIMAL FLIGHTS TO GET TO (CHENGDU & URUMQI ARE MAJOR ASIAN AIR HUBS) AND FOR ROAD TRAVEL WE USE EFFICIENT VEHICLES ON AN EVER-EXPENDING NETWORK OF FREEWAYS THAT HAS REDUCED ROAD-TIME BY ABOUT A HALF OVER THE LAST DECADE ALONE. COMPARED TO 8000m TRIPS ELSEWHERE, WE ALREADY COME IN ABOUT 20 – 25% LESS THE EMMISSIONS OF ELSEWHERE, BUT BY INCLUDING CARBON OFFSETTING IN OUR EXPEDITION COSTS WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO RUN THINGS EVEN BETTER.

WE OFFSET BY SUPPORTING A PROJECT THAT REPLACES COAL STOVES IN THE POOREST PARTS OF CHINA FOR STOVES THAT USE SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS AS FUEL. WE KEEP THE PROJECTS AS LOCAL AS POSSIBLE TO WHERE WE RUN TRIPS TO STREAMLINE THE INITIATIVE, AND THE OFFSETTING PROCESS IS BROKERED THROUGH GOLD STANDARD, A STANDARD SYSTEM THAT ASSESS PROJECTS FOR THEIR VIABILITY FOR REDUCING EMISSIONS.

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HOW MUCH IS IT?

USD60, LESS THAN 0.02% OF A REGULAR TRIP TO THE NORTH SIDE OF K2, OR 1% OF A REGULAR TRIP TO A 6000m PEAK.

WE CALCULATE USING AN AVERAGE OF THE CO2 EMISSIONS FROM THE MOST COMMON LONG HAUL FLIGHTS OUR TEAM MEMBERS TAKE, PLUS THE ROAD MILAGE AND VEHICLE USE THAT GOES WITH A TRIP. IT’S PRETTY SIMPLE.

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DOES IT REALLY WORK?

NOT ALWAYS. A LOT OF CARBON OFFSETTING PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE NEGLIGIBLE EFFECT ON CARBON EMMISSIONS BECAUSE THE GOOD THINGS THEY OFFSET WITH EITHER AREN’T SUSTAINABLE, OR TAKE TOO LONG TO HAVE AN EFFECT, OR DIRECTLY ADDRESS EMMISSIONS AT ALL. SOME ORGANIZATIONS SEE THEM AS A CONVENIENT DISTRACTION FROM THE REAL PROBLEMS OF EMMISSIONS.

WE CUT PAST ALL THAT BY OFFSETTING WITH PROJECTS WE CAN TANGIBLY SEE AT WORK BECAUSE THEY DIRECTLY CUT EMMISSIONS THEMSELVES, ARE IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENTED & ARE CHEAPER THAN GOING BACK TO THE DIRTIER SYSTEMS OF BEFORE. WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE OVER 20+ YEARS IN THE POOREST PARTS OF CHINA WE HAVE SEEN THE DIFFERENCE THAT REDUCING COAL FIRES IN HOMES HAS MADE.

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WHERE IS MY OFFSET COMING FROM?

THE OFFSET COVERED IN YOUR TRIP COST COMES FROM FAMILIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CHINESE EARNING SCALE BEING SUPPLIED WITH MORE EFFICIENT STOVES & FUEL OPTIONS TO GO WITH THEM. INSTEAD OF USING BRICKS OF LOW GRADE COAL (MOSTLY MADE FROM COMPRESSED COAL DUST), THESE STOVES USE RENEWABLE FUEL SOURCES LIKE BIOMASS LEFT OVER FROM AGRICULTURE THAT BURN CLEANER AND HAVE A BACK END OF SUPPLY THAT HAS MUCH LESS EMMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

UNLIKE SOME PROJECTS, THIS ONE ACTUALLY REDUCES EMISSIONS DIRECTLY BECAUSE LESS PEOPLE BURN COAL. WE CAN’T STOP THE TONESS OF EMISSIONS COMING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE, BUT WE CAN REDUCE THAT AMOUNT ELSEWHERE BY GETTING MORE OF THESE STOVES IN USE.

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HOW DOES IT WORK?

WHEN YOU PAY FOR A FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS TRIP THAT COST INCLUDES THE AMOUNT THAT COVERS ‘OFFSETS’.

OFFSETS WORK BY GIVING A DOLLAR VALUE TO EACH TONNE OF CO2 EMMISSIONS, AND THAT DOLLAR VALUE GOES TO A PROJECT THAT REDUCES EMISSIONS. THE VALUE IS ALLOCATED BY GOLD STANDARD, WHO ALSO COLLATE A SERIES OF PROJECTS THAT MEET THEIR CRITERIA FOR EFFICACY IN REDUCING EMISSIONS.

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DO YOU HAVE TO DO IT?

NO. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO PARTAKE WE CAN EITHER REDUCE YOUR COST BY THE AMOUNT OR ALLOCATE THE AMOUNT TO ANOTHER PART OF YOUR TRIP.

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IS THERE MORE TO THIS THAN JUST OFFSETTING EMMISSIONS?

A LOT MORE. WE CHOSE THIS PROJECT BECAUSE WE SEE IT AS A FAIL-SAFE. EVEN IF THE WHOLE EMISSIONS THINGS TURNS OUT TO NOT ADD UP, THE OTHER ASPECTS OF CLEANER STOVES HAS REAL, SUSTAINABLE EFFECTS.

LESS COAL USED MEANS LESS DEATHS IN COAL MINES, A ALMOST-DAILY OCCURRENCE IN CHINA. LESS COAL BURNED IS LEADING TO LESS CARCINOGENS IN PEOPLE LIVING SPACES & LESS COAL DUST IN THE STREETS. MORE EFFICIENT FUEL MEANS FAMILIES HAVE MORE MONEY FOR THINGS LIKE EDUCATION. MORE LOCALIZED FUEL FROM FARM WASTE MEANS MORE JOBS IN SMALL TOWNS THAT BRINGS ASSESTS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE.

THESE ARE THINGS THAT MAY SEEM ALIEN TO CLIMBERS WITH THE DISPOSABLE INCOMES TO PUT TOWARDS CLIMBING, BUT ACROSS THE POOR PARTS OF CHINA IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE TO MILLIONS OF LIVES.

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