Environmental Improvement Through Tree Planting and Naturalization: Offsetting CO2 Emissions

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Environmental Improvement Through Tree Planting
and Naturalization Offsetting CO2 Emissions
Version 1.0 Feb 8, 2005
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This educational CD is sponsored by McNeil
Consumer Healthcare (a division of Johnson
Johnson)
The makers of TYLENOL MOTRIN products.

• and supported by
• Trees For Guelph
• The City of Guelph
• The Grand River Conservation Authority

www.treesforguelph.ca
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Purpose

• The purpose of this CD is to provide the
  framework for educators, students, businesses and
  citizens to help to environmentally improve the
  communities in which we live and work through the
  Environmental Hierarchy Tools (Conserve, Prevent,
  Reduce, Replenish and Offset).
• TYLENOL MOTRIN are trademarks of Johnson
  Johnson.

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Table of Contents
Introduction Learning Objectives Module 1
Ecological Footprinting Module 2
Ecological Footprinting and Carbon Emissions The
Connection Module 3 Reducing our C02
Emissions Module 4 Tree Planting and
Carbon Sequestration Module 5 Trees For
Guelph Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare
Case Study Module 7 Partnering with Trees
For Guelph
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Learning Objectives

• To understand the concepts of global warming,
  carbon offsetting, carbon calculators and
  ecological footprinting
• To recognize our individual and collective
  contribution to atmospheric carbon dioxide
  emissions and global warming, and to provide ways
  for users to quantify their contributions.
• To foster in users a sense of caring and
  responsibility for the environment and to provide
  opportunities for area residents to make a
  difference through partnering with Trees For
  Guelph (TFG).

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Learning Objectives contd

• To present and promote the organization Trees For
  Guelph, and its programs.
• To encourage volunteering and community
  development among all residents of the City of
  Guelph.
• To highlight the McNeil Consumer Healthcare (MCH)
  case study as an example of what can be, and has
  been, done.

The modules in this CD include links to websites
for additional information and exercises. TFG
does not guarantee the accuracy of the
information contained on these websites.
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Weve all heard the terms, but what do they
really mean?...
What is the greenhouse effect?
What is global warming?
What are greenhouse gases?
What is an ecological footprint?
What can I do about these things?
This CD will answer these questions and provide
ways to do something about the problems with
which they are associated
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Module 1

• ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTING

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Ecological FootprintingWhat is it?
Module 1
The concept of ecological footprinting was
first developed by Dr. William Rees and Mathis
Wackernagel of the University of British Columbia
An ecological footprint (EF) is the area of
land required to provide the resources that
an individual or community consumes, and absorb
the waste that is generated. It is a measurement
of our use of nature.
http//www.racerocks.com/ensy/syllabus/ensybooklet
2/booklet2.htm
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Ecological FootprintingWhat is it?
Module 1
The concept of ecological footprinting
considers your environmental impacts to land,
water and air through waste, energy, goods, food,
transportation and support services.
Understanding your impacts and measuring your
results in areas of reducing, reusing, recycling,
refusing, eliminating, conserving, offsetting,
replenishing and sustaining are key elements in
determining your footprint.
http//www.racerocks.com/ensy/syllabus/ensybooklet
2/booklet2.htm
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Ecological Footprint Averages from Around the
World
Module 1 Ecological Footprinting
Canada
Spain
Ethiopia
Actual 0.8 hectares/person Available 0.5
ha/person Deficit 0.3 ha/person
Actual 3.8 ha/person Available 2.2
ha/person Deficit 1.6 ha/person
Actual 7.7 ha/person Available 9.6 ha/person
As you can see, some countries consume more
ecological resources than they have available to
them within their boundaries. This means that
they run an ecological deficit and must either
use the resources of another country or deplete
their own stocks.
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World Average
Module 1 Ecological Footprinting
World
The world as a whole is running an ecological
deficit. This means that, while Canada may not
be consuming more resources than are available to
it, we are still contributing to the overall
deficit because our footprint is much higher than
the world average.
Actual 2.8 ha/person Available 2.1 ha/person
If everybody on Earth had a footprint the size of
the average Canadian, we would need almost 4
Earths to supply us with everything we buy, use,
or eat, and to take care of all of our waste.
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To see the footprints of most nations
click on http//www.ecouncil.ac.cr/rio/focus/re
port/english/footprint/ranking.htm
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Module 1 Ecological Footprinting
If you looked at the list of footprints of other
nations consider these questions

• How does Canada rank compared to other countries?
  
• Why do you think our footprint is so big?
• Do you think it is okay for our footprint to be
  so big?
• Why does Canada have such a big footprint but
  still does not run a deficit?

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What is your personal ecological footprint?
Module 1 Ecological Footprinting
Click on one of the following links to take a
test that will determine the size of your
ecological footprint. Compare it to the
footprints provided earlier.

• Earthday Network http//www.earthday.net/footpri
  nt/info.asp

• City of Toronto http//www.city.toronto.on.ca/fo
  otprint/calc_fp.htm

• Stanley Park Ecology Society Calculator
  http//learn.islandwood.org/footprint/how.htm

• American Forests Climate Change Calculator
  http//www.americanforests.org/resources/ccc/

• SafeClimate Calculator http//www.safeclimate.ne
  t/calculator/

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Module 1 Ecological Footprinting
If you took a few different tests, were the
outcomes different? Why do you think this might
be so? What kinds of questions did each test ask
you? Were some tests more comprehensive than
others while others were more basic?
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Module 2

• ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTING AND CARBON EMISSIONS

THE CONNECTION
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Ecological Footprinting and Carbon Emissions
What is the connection?
Module 2
To answer this question, lets look at some
definitions
Fossil fuels Coal, natural gas and oil are fossil
fuels. They are called fossil fuels because
they were formed before the dinosaurs lived, and
are actually composed of partially decayed animal
and plant matter which contains carbon. Humans
burn them for energy and they are non-renewable
resources.
http//www.ghgonline.org/images/co2oilshale.jpg
www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/images/chap08_coal_on
_fire.jpg
www.nature.com/nsu/ 031027/031027-3.html
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Module 2 Ecological Footprinting and Carbon
Emissions
Definitions continued
Renewable Resources Renewable resources are those
that replenish or renew themselves and will
therefore never run out. They include wind, sun
and water.
http//craig.dynup.net/photography/hawaii2002/08_w
indfarm.jpg
http//www.akeena.net/images/92kwSanJose.gif
Non-Renewable Resources Non renewable resources
are those that have a finite supply and will
someday run out. As you will remember from the
previous slide, coal, oil and gas are all
non-renewable.
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Module 2 Ecological Footprinting and Carbon
Emissions
Definitions continued
Greenhouse gasses Gasses in the atmosphere that
trap heat close to the Earth and dont let it
escape are called greenhouse gasses. We need
some greenhouse gasses to keep the Earth warm
enough for life to survive, but, as you will see,
too much is not a good thing.
This is the Earths atmosphere, much of which is
composed of greenhouse gases
Solar radiation reaches the Earths surface
The greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere reemit
some of the reflected radiation back to Earth
Some radiation is reflected back
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Module 2 Ecological Footprinting and Carbon
Emissions
Definitions continued
Greenhouse effect The greenhouse effect is the
natural warming of the Earth. You should
remember from an earlier slide that it is caused
by the trapping of heat close to the Earths
surface by greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.
It works just like a greenhouse in which we grow
plants, hence the name.
Sunlight is allowed to pass through the glass or
plastic
In a greenhouse the glass or plastic traps some
of the heat in, just like the greenhouse gasses
of the Earths atmosphere trap heat close to the
Earth
Some of the heat passes back out through the
glass or plastic
http//www.idwr.state.id.us/energy/alternative_fue
ls/geothermal/greenhouse.jpg
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Module 2 Ecological Footprinting and Carbon
Emissions
Definitions continued
Global warming Global warming is the increase of
the Earths average temperature. The Earth has
undergone periods of natural global warming and
cooling since its creation, but scientists
believe that the global warming that is occurring
now is partly a result of human activity, and is
happening too quickly and too intensely. It is
leading to climatic change which can have serious
consequences for all life on Earth.
Warmer temperatures will increase the range of
disease carrying insects
http//www.cs.uu.nl/people/marco/fire.gif
http//www.iranparadise.com/Itineraries/ IMAGES/Ir
an-DESERT202.JPG
http//untruenews.com/unimages/melting_glacier.jpg
Global warming causes glaciers and icecaps to
melt, which leads to higher ocean levels and
coastal flooding
Warming of the Earths temperatures also causes
desertification, or the expansion of deserts,
which are less productive for agriculture
Hotter temperatures lead to natural disasters
like forest fires, drought and heat waves
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Module 2 Ecological Footprinting and Carbon
Emissions
Definitions continued
Carbon dioxide (CO2) Carbon dioxide is an example
of a greenhouse gas. It is important because
human beings have significantly increased the
amount of CO2 in the atmosphere through the
burning of fossil fuels, which releases stored up
carbon. Some examples
Electricity is sometimes, but not always,
produced by coal, gas or oil fired generating
plants which burn fossil fuels and therefore emit
CO2.
http//www.pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?matpdef
pg7228
Driving, especially in vehicles that require a
lot of gas to operate, contributes to C02
emissions
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Module 2 Ecological Footprinting and Carbon
Emissions
As you may have guessed or noticed from taking
some of the tests, a persons use of energy is
part of their ecological footprint. This is the
connection between EFs and carbon emissions.
Other ways that we directly or indirectly consume
energy, and therefore contribute to CO2 emissions
Eating food that was imported from far away
Buying or using manufactured products
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• So, what can we do about it?

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Module 3

• REDUCING CO2 EMISSIONS

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Reducing CO2 Emissions
Module 3
The most obvious thing we can do to help stop
global warming is to decrease our greenhouse gas
emissions. Since carbon dioxide is one of the
worst greenhouse gasses, and since we produce so
much of it, we can target it for reduction.
Carbon dioxide
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Module 3 Reducing CO2 Emissions
How can reduction be achieved?
Some easy ways
http//www.dot.wisconsin.gov/safety/ vehicle/image
s/bike-cars-redsignal2.jpg
http//www.energy.iastate.edu/efficiency /images/h
ouse.jpg
Drive less and take alternative modes of
transportation
Demand sources of renewable energy
Demand and use better public transportation
Make homes more energy efficient so they require
less energy to heat and cool
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• Once we have reduced our CO2 emissions as much
  as possible, is there anything else we can do?

YES!...
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Module 4 Tree Planting and Carbon Sequestration
Plant Trees!
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Module 4

• TREE PLANTING

AND
CARBON SEQUESTRATION
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What can we do about the problem?
Module 4 Tree Planting and Carbon Sequestration
How does planting trees help?
CO2
CO2
Trees and other vegetation store carbon dioxide
in their tissues, including the wood, leaves and
roots, thereby removing it from the atmosphere
As the roots of trees and other vegetation
improve the soil around them, more carbon dioxide
is stored in the soil as well
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Module 4 Tree Planting and Carbon Sequestration
How does planting trees help?
This ability of trees to store carbon is called
Carbon Sequestration
and they do it through
photosynthesis
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Module 4 Tree Planting and Carbon Sequestration
How does planting trees help?
Carbon offsetting

Carbon offsetting, in this context, is the term
used to describe projects that attempt to
displace carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by
sequestering it in the tissues of trees. Carbon
offsetting can be achieved simply by planting
trees!
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Module 4 Tree Planting and Carbon Sequestration
How does planting trees help?
Carbon Emissions
Carbon Uptake per Tree

Number of Trees to Plant

This is an oversimplification but it gives you an
idea of how planting trees can help reduce carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere.
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Module 4 Tree Planting and Carbon Sequestration
Are trees the only plants that
sequester CO2?
No, other kinds of plants can help sequester CO2
as well. One group of plants that we should also
think about planting is
Native meadow wildflowers
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Module 4 Tree Planting and Carbon Sequestration
Not only do native meadow wildflowers sequester
CO2, but they provide wildlife habitat and are
very beautiful additions to any garden, city
boulevard, or park!
www.nenature.com/ FreePhotos/WColumbine.htm
http//hflp.sdstate.edu/ho311/outdoor_images/Echin
acea-purpurea-close.JPG
http//www.delawarewildflowers.org/verbena_hastata
.jpg
http//www.chesapeakenatives.com/AsclepiasTuberosu
sThumb.jpg
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Module 4 Tree Planting and Carbon Sequestration
Native meadow wildflowers are so important that
the City of Guelph, together with Trees For
Guelph and local industry Blount Canada, are
working to convert a 1 km long stretch of
manicured grass to a naturalized meadow.
Photo by Heather Martin
When the project is complete, an area that once
required regular maintenance in the form of
mowing, weed control and fertilizing, will take
care of itself. This means cost savings for the
City of Guelph.
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Module 4 Tree Planting and Carbon Sequestration
Limitations of Tree Planting as a Way to Offset
Carbon Emissions
Unfortunately, humans produce so much carbon
dioxide that it is not humanly possible to plant
all the trees required to offset all our
emissions. There is not enough land on Earth to
accommodate all the trees, and even if there was,
not all of Earth should be forested! We also
need grasslands, wetlands, deserts, agricultural
land etc.
What this means is that we must
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Module 4 Tree Planting and Carbon Sequestration
REDUCE our carbon dioxide emissions in the first
place!
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Module 5

• TREES FOR GUELPH

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What is ?
Module 5 Trees For Guelph

• Non-profit community group that has been
  organizing environmental improvement projects in
  Guelph since 1990.
• TFGs mandate is to improve the quality of life
  in Guelph by enhancing the urban forest.
• TFG works with volunteers including students,
  industry and other community groups to plant
  trees and shrubs around the city.

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TFG Accomplishments
Module 5 Trees For Guelph
Since 1991 thousands of volunteers have planted
well over 75 000 trees in Guelph
TFG photo
TFG photo
TFG photo
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TFG Accomplishments
Module 5 Trees For Guelph
Over 3500 elementary students have planted over
1200 trees and shrubs since 1991 in schoolyard
naturalization projects
TFG photo
TFG photo
TFG photo
TFG photo
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How Students Can Get Involved
Module 5 Trees For Guelph
If your class is interested in participating in a
tree planting program with Trees For Guelph, we
can help you get started. Just contact
Mr. Heiti Jaason President Trees For
Guelph Email hjaason_at_sympatico.ca Home Phone
519-821-3791
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Module 6
McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
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How Industry Can Get Involved
Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
To get an idea of how industry can get involved,
lets look at the case study of McNeil Consumer
Healthcare in Guelph
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Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
In 1999 one Guelph industry and employer, McNeil
Consumer Healthcare (MCH), a Johnson and Johnson
Company, embarked on an ambitious, but totally
attainable, multi-phase initiative that they
called Mapping our Environmental Footprint.
The goal was to reduce the companys carbon
dioxide emissions 7 below 1990 levels by 2010, a
goal in line with the Kyoto Protocols targets.
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Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
The first phase of the program was to find ways
to OFFSET the companys CO2 emissions resulting
from the burning of fossil fuels such as natural
gas and coal. In 1999 and 2000 MCH managed
complete facility neutrality, or a 100 offset,
and in 2001 they achieved a 51 offset. These
offsets were achieved through an annual tree
planting program which MCH undertook in
partnership with Trees For Guelph.
The company received the Dr. Peter N. Britton
Award, one of the JJ Worldwide Environmental
Awards for Excellence in Leadership, for the tree
planting/carbon offset program.
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Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
In 2001 McNeil took steps to REDUCE its CO2
emissions by making changes to their
transportation program. As a result of a
transportation census, all company fleet vehicles
were converted to 10 ethanol-based fuels, and
gas guzzling sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were
eliminated.
In 2002 it was recognized that employees driving
to work also indirectly contributed to the
companys carbon emissions. An employee
incentive and awareness program was undertaken to
encourage employees to purchase ethanol-based
fuels for their private vehicles.
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Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
More statistics about McNeil Consumer
Healthcares successes

• Immediate 11.2 reduction in CO2 emissions was
  achieved upon switching to
• ethanol-based fuels. This works out to 10 150
  pounds of CO2 avoided in the
• first 3 months!
• 47 000 pounds of CO2 were avoided by eliminating
  SUV fleet vehicles!
• MCH achieved 25 REDUCTION in energy consumption
  and 42
• REDUCTION in water usage BEFORE the carbon
  offset program was
• implemented!
• During the first 8 weeks of the employee
  incentive/awareness program, 10 000
• pounds of CO2 emissions were avoided when 40
  of employees participated!

But, McNeils initiative to reduce CO2 emissions
didnt just benefit the environment
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Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
it also benefited the shareholders!

• For every SUV that was eliminated and replaced
  with a smaller vehicle, 1800
• was saved due to improved fuel efficiency!
• A one-time vehicle surcharge of 5200 was
  avoided!

savings!
Studies have shown that many consumers, if given
a choice, would prefer to buy products from a
company that has demonstrated environmental
responsibility. Attention to environmental
performance can positively affect stock value.
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Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
But thats not all McNeil did!
Once McNeil Consumer Healthcare had figured out
how they could reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions as much as possible, they wanted to do
something about the remaining emissions. So they
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Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
Planted Trees!
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Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
Remember the simplified equation we used back in
Module 4?
Lets say we have calculated that our carbon
emissions are 2500 kg/year. If we know that the
average tree planted in an urban environment
sequesters 200 kg of carbon over its entire life
(average 80 years), then we can calculate how
many trees we need to plant to offset our
emissions for that year
2500 kg/yr 200 kg C/tree
12.5 trees
But how would an industry know how many kilograms
or tonnes of carbon dioxide they are producing
each year? They would need a calculator like the
ones used in Module 1 to calculate a persons
ecological footprint.
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Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
Luckily theres one available!
McNeil Consumer Healthcare used a calculator that
the Tree Canada Foundation developed to determine
how much carbon dioxide they were producing.

• Find out how much natural gas and electricity
• you are using and try the calculator McNeil used
• at the end of the slide show!

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Module 6 McNeil Consumer Healthcare Case Study
Once McNeil Consumer Healthcare had calculated
how much carbon dioxide they emitted, and how
many trees they needed to plant to offset those
emissions, they paid Trees For Guelph to plant
them.
Trees For Guelph then planted the trees with the
help of thousands of primary and high school
students from around the city. Some were planted
on McNeil property but most were planted in
schoolyards and parks around Guelph.
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Module 7
PARTNERING WITH TREES FOR GUELPH
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How you can get involved
Module 7 Partnering with Trees For Guelph
If your business or class is interested in
initiating or participating in a program similar
to the one that McNeil Consumer Healthcare
undertook, just contact Trees for Guelph and we
can help you get started.
Contact Info Email info_at_treesforguelph.ca
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How you can get involved
Module 7 Partnering with Trees For Guelph
Ideally the way it works is interested
industries look at the carbon dioxide emissions
from all sources (production and transportation)
and do as much as they can to reduce their
existing emissions first. Remember, offsetting
emissions should only be the second priority,
behind reduction. After reduction has been
achieved, the number of trees needed to offset
the remaining emissions is calculated. Then, the
interested businesses pay for these trees to be
planted. They could be planted on the business
property or elsewhere. Ideally employees and
managers of the business would participate in the
planting, but school groups also do much of the
planting.
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Links and Resources

• For Educators
• More about urban and ecological footprints
  http//www.gdrc.org/uem/footprints/
• For Families
• David Suzuki Foundation Nature Challenge
• http//www.davidsuzuki.org/WOL/Challenge/
• For Community Groups
• Ontario Trillium Foundation provides grants to
  help build healthy, strong and economically
  viable communities
• http//www.trilliumfoundation.org

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Try the carbon calculator to see how many trees
you should be planting! At the end of the show,
scroll down to the last slide and double click on
the spaces provided to enter the amount of
natural gas and electricity consumed at your
school, home or place of work.
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