First-of-its-Kind Study Casts More Shade on Forest Carbon Offsets
Yet another report has cast doubt on the accuracy and reliability of the carbon credits companies and individuals purchase to offset their climate-polluting emissions.
Yet another report has cast doubt on the accuracy and reliability of the carbon credits companies and individuals purchase to offset their climate-polluting emissions.
A new investigation from The Guardian, Die Zeit and SourceMaterial leads heavily towards the latter conclusion. The report, published Wednesday, found that more than 90 percent of the rainforest offset credits offered by top carbon standard Verra are actually what The Guardian called “phandom credits” that don’t actually remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
When we looked at satellite tracking of carbon levels and logging activity in California forests, we found that carbon isn’t increasing in the state’s 37 offset project sites any more than in other areas, and timber companies aren’t logging less than they did before.
What Are Carbon Offsets? Carbon offsets are in theory a way to cancel out greenhouse gas emissions by funding an activity that will remove a supposedly equal amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or prevent an equal amount of carbon pollution. They can be purchased by everyone from major companies pursuing net-zero emissions goals […]
Many bird species are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, especially the extreme ones that come with climate change. Global heating is especially difficult for birds, who need shade, cool water and breezes to cool down. A new study by the Oregon State University College of Forestry suggests some bird species can get relief from climate change […]
The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has just released its Issue With Tissue report for 2022, and while it does show some progress in regards to sustainable bathroom tissue, the findings also show that many major toilet paper companies are destroying Canada’s boreal forests. Boreal forests are crucial to our planet, as they store 30% […]
One of the challenges urban planners face as they attempt to fashion climate-friendly cities is how to construct new buildings. Common materials steel and cement are notoriously difficult to decarbonize, yet the number of people living in cities could increase to 80 percent of the total population by 2100, potentially requiring more new construction between […]
By Olivia Box The Place Nestled at the very edge of the toe of mainland Italy you’ll find Aspromonte National Park, one of the wildest places in Italy. It sits at the end of the Apennines, which start just below the western Alps and run through central Italy to the toe of the country’s “boot.” […]
A new study has found an alarming loss in forest areas globally, including that global forest area per capita has dropped from 1.4 hectares in 1960 to just 0.5 hectares per person by 2019, a 60% decline. The research, lead by Ronald Estoque from the Center for Biodiversity and Climate Change, Forestry and Forest Products […]