Little River Trail Run Sets New Records

More Runners Means Less Pollution

The over 500 runners in the 2012 Little River Trail Run helped to purchase a record 87,500 of carbon offsets from NC GreenPower. In 2011 the event bought 80,500 pounds of offsets and 54,375 pounds in 2010 when the event reached its goal of becoming carbon neutral. The total amount of carbon offsets purchased over the past three years is like planting over 17,000 trees. Each of the 300 vehicles parked at this year's event could have driven from as far away as 400 miles without increasing their carbon footprint.





Carbon what? 

So what is all this carbon whatchamacallit?

A carbon offset is a lessening in carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions to make up for creating those emisions somewhere else. Usually offsets are purchased by individuals, corporations, or governments to compensate for their greenhouse gas production. Greenhouse gases are produced through the use of cars, airplanes, electricity, and landfills. The offsets are used to help pay for things like making power plants more efficient, building renewable energy sources, or forestry projects. 

Your carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by you. Footprints can also be made by organizations, events, or products. Check out this Greenhouse Gas Calculator from the EPA to see how much carbon your household produces in a year.

If you want to be carbon neutral you try not to add to greenhouse gas emissions either by changing behaviors or through buying the same amount in offsets that you create in emisions. You can reduce greenhouse gas emisions by doing things like limiting your energy usage, walking, biking, and recycling. Another way is to get your electricity from some renewable source like adding solar panels to your home or buying from a green energy provider.

Green Energy in NC

Renewable energy and energy efficiency in North Carolina are starting to have a significant impact on the state's economy. A good resource for those interested in learning more about our state's clean energy resources, installed projects, and opportunities for jobs and businesses is the NC Sustainable Energy Association's (NCSEA) publication 2011 NC Clean Energy Data Book. The formation of NC GreenPower in 2003 has enabled the voluntary purchase of renewable energy certificates, like the offsets purchased from the Trail Run, from power generated from renewable energy resources. A state law in 2007 requires energy utilities to provide a certain percentage of their power from green energy resources by 2018. And individuals and businesses can receive up to 35 percent state tax credit for installing renewable energy technology. The most effective energy resource in North Carolina however is energy savings. There is great potential for reductions in greenhouse gas emisions through energy efficiency projects, changes in building designs, upgrading current buildings.

 

The average carbon emisions of a U.S. household of two people:  41,500 pounds per year.



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