Offsets

A greenhouse gas offset is a project implemented specifically to reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. There are numerous ways to achieve emission reduction through technological means, including: energy efficient buildings, factories and transportation; renewable energy, such as wind, solar, and tidal; migrating to lower carbon energy sources, for instance using natural gas instead of coal; and capturing carbon dioxide in forests and in agricultural soils.

They are called "offsets" because the greenhouse gas emissions reductions do not occur at the College. Rather, they are implemented by a separate organization, in our case the Climate Trust, at another site.

Why Offsets? Why not focus on-campus?

We are focusing on campus, first of all. Offsets are being used as a springboard towards Kyoto compliance, not an end in itself. In our situation, offsets are the cheapest way to achieve Kyoto compliance for our institution. As we continue to reduce our emissions on campus, it becomes increasingly more expensive to make the last steps to Kyoto compliance. So, as we work on compliance, we are also working with Lewis & Clark College to reduce our GHG emissions. Our hope is to reduce our emissions while already Kyoto compliant. One such way that we can reduce emissions on campus is through the purchase of green energy. This school year (2003-2004) was the first time that students were able to purchase green energy for the dorms. We hope to promote this program in the future, as well as encourage more students to be invovled. Go to the emissions page to learn about other actions taken on campus to reduce our emissions