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Looking Ahead: 2009 Climate Action
For years, those of us that have been fighting global warming at all levels, from policy to the voluntary carbon market, to grassroots organizing have been looking forward to 2009. As a nation we have stood still for far too long in spite of overwhelming evidence that global warming requires action now. But inaction on the national level has really brought to light who are among the leaders in the fight – the individuals saving energy, organizing for change and offsetting their emissions, and the businesses that in spite of a weak economic climate, are refusing to drop their commitments to environmental sustainability. These are the people who helped elect a president who campaigned heavily on a commitment to fight global warming. These are the people who will ensure that 2009 will not pass like so many years before it; these are the people who will ensure that 2009 is the year for climate action.
Looking ahead, one must be optimistic about the team of environmentalists whom President-Elect Obama is appointing to his cabinet. In a December press conference, Mr. Obama said, “The team that I have assembled here today is uniquely suited to meet the great challenges of this defining moment. They are leading experts and accomplished managers, and they are ready to reform government and help transform our economy so that our people are more prosperous, our nation is more secure, and our planet is protected. I look forward to working with them in the years ahead.”
For our incoming president, energy is at the heart of many of his proposed actions and he has the team to accomplish great things. He recognizes that his global warming goals and economic revitalization goals go hand-in-hand and that a green job is still a job. So what do we think will actually happen in terms of legislation? That is too tough to tell. But it is safe to say that there will be a lot more movement towards comprehensive global warming solutions on a federal level than we have seen in years.
What could that mean for the voluntary carbon market and carbon offsets? The market is strong and growing, and there may be an increasing number of businesses that start to account for their carbon footprint as they attempt to stay ahead of the curve. But the economy is tightening and it is hard to tell how that will affect individual offset choices. The good news is that global warming will continue to be a priority for individuals and businesses alike for a long time, as it should be.
Here at Carbonfund.org, we are preparing for 2009 much like we have the years past. We are in the process of completing our annual financial and portfolio audit which will soon be made public. We are continuing to support only the highest quality, third-party validated projects. And we are continuing to grow to meet the needs of our donors. Please keep checking in with us as we will be updating our site, bringing on new projects and continuing to make offsetting your carbon footprint easy and affordable.
