Title: [GreenYes] Re: Recycle Offset Credits?
I met Paul Roszel in Chicago at the WR3A sponosored Recycling Today
electronics conference (great turnout by the way). In my opinion
there may be no better advocate and expert on recycling in North
America than Paul. What he wants to do with the credits is to
reposition recycling in the environmental discourse.
I spoke frankly with him about the 'greenwashing' potential of all of
these credits (as Mary Lou Van Deventer aptly describes some of these
'campaigns'). I have suspicions that the carbon offset credits could
be a 'pyramid scheme'... imagine the same gas guzzler being sold from
company to company, traded every week, each company using it,
registering their footprint while they have it, and then selling it to
the next company, and claiming a greenhouse gas reduction. That's an
oversimplified exaggeration, but when 99% of companies are not yet
registered, it does seem to me that any company rich enough to upgrade
their trucks will look greener than any company buying the used
truck...
Anyway, in regards to Recycling Offset Credits, I would trust
RecycleNet to be very open to setting rules on the system which did
not encourage abuse or greenwashing. Paul was able to intelligently
discuss the potential 'poster child fatigue" of environmental
campaigns. He is capable of discussing even the diminishing returns
of 'zero waste' (where I have sacreligiously suggested that the very
last item recycled, like a can from an island or from the bottom of
the ocean, will be inefficient and do environmental harm).
RecycleNet's goal is to keep RECYCLING as a relevant activity as
'green' activities (so labelled - did you know there is a green credit
card?) gobble up more space on the daily news.
I would encourage RecycleNet to continue with this, because the
current media appetite for consumable environmental headlines is a
given and if he doesn't put Recycling Credits out there, some other
even less worthy environmental 'issue' could take our place. As the
Grateful Dead sang, "might as well be me".
On Jun 19, 3:08 pm, Mary Lou Van Deventer <marylou...@no.address>
wrote:
> At Urban Ore, one of our managers is investigating this carbon-offset
> idea for our company. Our attorney just asked me if the manager is
> head of the Greenwashing Department. We're kind of ambivalent about it.
>
> Mary Lou Van Deventer
> Urban Ore
> 900 Murray St.
> Berkeley, CA 94710
> marylou...@no.address
>
> On Jun 19, 2008, at 12:00 PM, Jewell, Rebecca wrote:
>
>
>
> >http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/technology/recycl...
>
> > SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, Jun 19, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) ----Paul
> > Roszel, Chairman of RecycleNet Corporation (OTCBB: GARM)is pleased
> > to introduce the Recycling Offset Credit (ROCs) program. This
> > program provides a certified measurement system to recognize and
> > reward companies for their recycling efforts. RecycleNet will issue/
> > award Recycling Offset Credits (ROCs) for each ton of material
> > recycled by participants.
>
> > As a result of the increased awareness of climate change and global
> > warming, more and more people have become concerned about greenhouse
> > gas emissions and are developing strategies to reduce their carbon
> > footprint. Many companies, individuals and institutions have
> > implemented carbon neutral goals.
>
> > The Recycling Offset Credits (ROCs) program is an effort to provide
> > a universally recognized standard to measure and certify recycling
> > efforts and to demonstrate the economic impact of the recycling
> > industry. Recycling Offset Credits (ROCs) may be used to calculate
> > an equivalent offset of your carbon footprint.
>
> > RecycleNet Corporation invites any company, institution or
> > organization to participate in the voluntary ROCs program by
> > reporting materials recycled. There is no fee to participate and the
> > program is open and applicable to anyone in all stages of the
> > recycling/reverse distribution supply chain.
>
> > For more information and to participate in the Recycling Offset
> > Credits program please visitwww.recycle.net/offsetcredits.
>
> > About RecycleNet
>
> > RecycleNet operates The Online Secondary Commodities Exchange.
> > Founded in 1995, RecycleNet created a powerful platform to
> > facilitate the international trade of secondary commodities.
> > RecycleNet Corporation enables trade on a local, national and
> > international basis with customized sites locating markets around
> > the world in many different commodities. On any given day, there are
> > in excess of $200 million in new items listed within our exchanges.
>
> > Rebecca Jewell
> > Recycling Programs Manager
> > Davis Street Station for Material Recycling & Transfer
> > A Waste Management company
> > 510-563-4214
>
> > Fun Fact: Waste Management recycled more than 5 million tons of
> > commodities last year; preventing the release of more than 3.4
> > million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
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