S1 E3: Shades of Green in the Carbon Offset Market

Carbon offsets have been the center of some high profile scandals over the past few years, but what else is there to these stories? Why does the voluntary carbon market exist and how do we know if carbon offsets are actually making a difference? Tune in to Life in the Greenhouse to learn about all the shades of green in the carbon offset market.

Show Notes:

0:53 ClimeCo: https://shop.climeco.com/offset/air-travel/ 

3:50 Carbon Accounting, Reporting, and Management Lab at Northern Arizona University: https://carml.rc.nau.edu/about/ 

10:10 Refrigerant destruction:  https://www.recoolit.com/

11:45 Oil derricks in CA: https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/oil-derricks-california-old-photos/

12:26 Over half a million oil derricks in the US: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-29709-3

12:54 Oil well shut down: https://www.carbonpath.io/

18:01 Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market “The 10 Core Carbon Principles”: https://icvcm.org/the-core-carbon-principles/

19:11 Project Protocol: https://ghgprotocol.org/project-protocol 

23:37 “In Juneau, Alaska, a carbon offset project that’s actually working” Grist, January 2024 (subtitle: Visiting Alaska is an emissions-heavy prospect. An innovative program has tourists ease that by helping buy heat pumps for locals.)

29:47 The Great Cash-for-Carbon Hustle The New Yorker 10/16/2023, about South Pole (company) and a great history of carbon credits plus the Zimbabwe Kariba project

34:06 Revealed: more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets by biggest certifier are worthless, analysis shows Guardian 1/18/2023, about studies into Verra, the world's leading offset certifier

37:38 Oil companies relying on carbon offsets: https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/carbon-offsets-2023/companies.html

38:55 Oxy claimed a shipload of crude oil was entirely carbon neutral: https://www.reuters.com/article/climatechange-fossilfuels-offsets-insigh-idINKBN2C31AO/