1. Carbon Sponsoring Alexander Bigazzi Undergraduate Honors Thesis Presentation Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering June 10, 2009 Direct Carbon Offset Pledges for Travel

2. Process & Objectives 2 Carbon Sponsoring Develop Idea Research carbon trading Create tool Evaluate tool Objectives

3. Outline Climate change mitigation and carbon trading Carbon Sponsoring Evaluation of the tool Conclusions Questions (stump the chump) 3 Carbon Sponsoring CO 2 $

4. Climate Change Mitigation What are we gonna do?!? 4

5. GHG in the U.S. 5 Carbon Sponsoring

6. Life Cycle Assessment 6 Carbon Sponsoring Souce: EPA, 2006

7. Strategies Reduce GHG Lower carbon intensity Increase efficiency Reduce consumption Sequester carbon 7 Carbon Sponsoring

8. Tools Regulation Carbon Caps Efficiency & Carbon Standards Pricing TradingTaxes 8 Carbon Sponsoring

9. Carbon Markets 9 Carbon Sponsoring

10. Path of Carbon Offsets 10 Carbon Sponsoring

11. Typical Offsets Projects 11 Carbon Sponsoring Offset Projects Emissions reduction Fossil fuel reduction Renewable energy Fuel switching & efficiency GHG destruction Methane Sequestration Biological Forestry Soil Geological

12. Criticisms of Offsets Time lag Quality Control Administrative costs Equity “Indulgences” Greenwashing 12 Carbon Sponsoring

13. GREENWASHING 13 Carbon Sponsoring

14. A new idea in personal carbon trading 14

15. Why Carbon Sponsoring? Personal trading options limited Education: footprint, reductions, trading Voluntary, non-monetary Connect emissions to offsets Active participation Avoid time lag Within social network 15 Carbon Sponsoring

16. CarbonSponsor.org 16 Carbon Sponsoring

17. CarbonSponsor.org 17 Carbon Sponsoring

18. Pledges 18 Carbon Sponsoring OTHER

19. Database Structure 19 Carbon Sponsoring

20. Study Period Results So, how’d it go? 20

21. Website Traffic 21 Carbon Sponsoring N=222 (9min avg)

22. Feedback Results 22

23. Conclusions Well, now what? 23

24. Conclusions & Steps Meets objectives – Facilitate reductions – Awareness of footprint, reductions, and trading Online tool improvements Promotion – Integrate with social networking sites Future data source Need more marginal carbon research Unique role in climate change mitigation 24 Carbon Sponsoring

25. Thank you! Question Time. Acknowledgements Dr. Robert Bertini Faculty and staff of Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering Carbon sponsoring guinea pigs Awesome people who come to student presentations Visit: www.CarbonSponsor.org!!!

26. Growth in Carbon Offsets 26 Carbon Sponsoring

27. Food Impacts 27 Carbon Sponsoring