Last Week at Rotary - October 26, 2023

ODC and the Carbon Sequestration Fund

Dave Nyitray, CEO of the Outdoor Discovery Center (ODC), first gave us an overview of the ODC. The ODC works to protect natural ecosystems and is pioneering nature-based education. As they looked for new areas to explore, they thought about carbon offsets.
 
Most carbon offset programs are confusing, have mixed reactions from the public as to their effectiveness, are far away, and the rules are very convoluted.  ODC worked on a program that wouldn't have these difficulties. They approached the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland to act as a fiduciary for the funds. An advisory board was recruited to evaluate local projects and encourage organizations to apply for funding.
 
Organizations who have an idea for a carbon offset project follow these steps.
  1. Develop ideas and create a presentation.
  2. Pitch the advisory board on the project.
  3. Receive the funding for the project.
  4. Implement the project.
  5. Share the outcomes.
The projects could be to reduce carbon usage, such as to increase efficiency, replace carbon-intensive activities, or share resources. They might also lower carbon usage by proposing renewable energy or electrification.
 
The next stage is encouraging the community to buy into the carbon offset fund. Dave displayed a list of activities and the cost of the carbon from each activity. Some of the ideas are:
  • The average annual emission for an individual is $850.
  • For a household, annual emission is $2,000.
  • A round-trip economy flight between GRR and LA costs $25.
  • Between GRR and MCO the carbon cost is $15.
  • The average annual carbon cost of a vehicle is $250 or about $0.02/mile.
You can learn more at thecommunitycarbonfund.org