Carbon Off set

[MW1LCR]

Hello all

We have about 2 - 3 acres of land that we are interested in using for Carbon off setting. We've looked at the woodland trust website, but they seem only to be interested in charging people lots of money to plant trees on woodland trust land, in return for a managed site.

We want to do the same, but won't charge people or organisations to plant trees. Basically bring your own trees, plant them, and we'll look after them and we'll sign a contract to that effect.

People off set their carbon, we get a woodland.

Anybody help with this ?

Thanks

[mamos]

Sounds like a cool idea

How much would you charge to plant a tree for me. I live too far away to bring a tree to you. Me driving all the way to Wales to plant a tree to offset carbon would seen a little counter productive.

I would need you to plant the tree for me and then give me the exact location on google earth so I could virtually visit my tree whenever I wanted and check on it from time to time

mamos

[MW1LCR]

Hello mamos

Well we havn't really thought this through, but one idea we had was this:

Someone decides they want to plant a tree. We let them know what trees we can plant (the site varies from being wet, and straddling a stream to open hill side) in the different parts of the field. So it could be Oak, Ash Willow etc.

The person then orders & pays for the trees on eBay, having them delivered to us. We then plant them, and email the purchaser the location of the tree they have had planted.

Maybe we could "plant a tree" through eBay ?

I need to think this through, but how does that sound ? Oak trees are 3 for £15, Ash & Willow £1 each.

[Brij]

Oh, I love Ash trees, and willows for that matter! Keep us posted, I may just have you plant a load 'cos they are so nice to have around

[MW1LCR]

We wouldn't supply the trees, all we would do is plant supplied trees in the field, and of course take care of them etc. So its sort of Carbon off setting on the cheap. People off set their Carbon consumption, we get a 2 - 3 acre woodland, and whoever supplies the trees gets some cash.

I know there are some commercial operations charging £20 to plant a tree, but thats far too much we think. So we reckon that if we do this we just get people to buy a tree cutting (or whip as they are called) or a 3 - 4 feet tree, send it to us, and we'll plant it, supplying a photograph etc of the tree.

We still need to think this through.

All ideas welcome !

[mamos]

You need to work with one of the ebay tree sellers so all we do is go to their shop and by our tree and it automatically gets sent to you and you plant it.

That way it will save on postage etc and save you having to go out at random times to plant trees

The seller could send them to you in bulk say, once a month

mamos

[MKG]

A thought or two ...

I've just been looking at some rough average figures. A broad-leaf tree will absorb 1 tonne (1000 kg) of CO2 in its average lifetime of 100 years so, ignoring its growing-up period (when it will absorb less), that's 10 kg per year. An average small delivery van will generate about 200 mg of CO2 per kilometre - so 1 kg per 5 kilometres. A 50-mile round trip for the delivery of a tree therefore accounts for one average year of the life of a tree.

But you'll be receiving and planting very small trees and, depending upon the type of tree, it can take between 15 and 100 years to reach maturity - so there's at least a 15 year delay before the full CO2 absorption capability is achieved. That 50-mile round trip, then, probably equates to significantly more years in the life of a young tree.

The effectiveness of your project, then, would appear to depend upon a guarantee that the trees would at least reach maturity (diseases etc. notwithstanding).

It would be, I think, a much more sensible approach for you to source the trees locally, or at least offer a link with a local supplier from whom people could buy the trees remotely. That way, the carbon benefit would be realised that much sooner.

Oh - having had a look at a few similar schemes, don't forget the wildlife habitat and native British tree species aspects. People like that.

Mike

[mamos]

That is why I said to maybe take delivery of the trees say once a month or, whenever there are enough trees to warrant a trip. If they delivering say, 50 trees then it would take a fiftieth of the time to offset the carbon used.

Stay positive

mamos