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Why Should I Care About CO2?
The carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of our modern society are a major contributor to rapid climate change. When fossil fuels are burned, carbon that has been locked away for millions of years is released into the air, causing the Earth’s temperature to rise and significant climatic changes to take place. We are already seeing an increase in extreme weather events and indicators of imminent large-scale climate change with serious implications for the world as we know it. It is essential that each of us reduce our CO2 emissions. However, it is not possible to eliminate all CO2 emissions immediately, so in the interim we can help to reduce the impact of those emissions that are unavoidable by planting trees.
How Can Trees Help the Problem?
Because trees take in carbon dioxide, split it apart, "exhale" oxygen and hold carbon in their tissues and deposit it underground, they are an excellent way to reduce excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Urbans trees also shade homes and mitigate the heat island effect which causes city temperatures to be several degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside so they save the fossil fuels that are burned for eletricity while reducing power bills. In that way they reduce carbon dioxide even more. At the same time, urban trees increase property values, lower other pollutants like particulates, keep stormwater runoff cleaner and provide habitat for wildlife.
How Can I Become Part of the Solution?
TreeFolks makes it easy for you to plant trees to erase your "carbon footprint." We grow our own native trees at our Austin nursery and, with your offset purchase, we’ll plant as many trees as you need to offset your carbon emissions through our established urban forestry programs. We'll have an easy online carbon calculator that will tell you how many tons of carbon you are responsible for and give you the opportunity to purchase "carbon offsets" in a secure on-line transaction.
Exactly What Am I Buying When I Buy "Offsets"?
Buying offsets from TreeFolks isn't exactly like buying trees. It's buying one of the "products" of the trees. It's sort of like buying fruit as opposed to buying a fruit tree except, in this case, you're buying all of the fruit that the tree will ever produce. But that's not all. By buying offsets from our non-profit organization your purchase is subsidized by thousands of hours of volunteer labor. Your purchase is also used to support our educational programs and can be used as a "match" for grant funds, allowing us to plant many more trees and to teach people to care for the trees we already have. Now that's value!
Other Companies Sell Carbon Offsets: Why Should I Use TreeFolks?
History- TreeFolks, Inc. is a non-profit organization that has planted trees and educated Central Texans about the urban forest for eighteen years.
Accountability- TreeFolks will identify the exact planting in Central Texas where the trees your carbon offsets helped plant are located. No other offset program offers that level of accountability.
Synergy- As a non-profit, TreeFolks can use your offset money as a "match" for grant money to plant even more trees. The money from carbon offsets not only plants trees, it also supports education programs that help us teach you and your neighbors how to keep our urban forest healthy.
Effectiveness- Most of the trees we plant are urban trees which are much more effective at controlling pollution than forest trees because they are closer to the sources of the pollution.
More Tree and Carbon Information
Understanding the Global Carbon Cycle (Woods Hole Institute)
U.S. E.P.A.'s Climate Change Page
Austin Energy's Power Saver Rebate and Incentive Program
Big List of Tree Facts
Click this link to contact us with any questions or comments about this or our other great programs. |
