carbon neutral

Ocean Empire LSV Carbon-Neutral Life Supporting Superyacht

If you've ever wanted to sail away into the sunset and never be seen again the Ocean Empire LSV Superyacht could be just the thing that makes that dream a reality as it's designed to support life and stay out at sea indefinitely. LSV stands for 'life support vessel' and refers to several key features including three sustainable energy sources (4,305 square feet of solar panels, an 861 square foot skysail that collects wind energy, and a MDR system that captures energy caused by the boat bobbing on the waves) plus two hydroponic farms and fishing facilities for an endless supply of food. And even if you're not interested in never coming home all those gadgets mean it's capable of traveling up to 12,000 nautical miles a year in a 100% carbon neutral state. You (plus nine friends and a crew of eight) will be set for life.

Designed as a charter vessel the Ocean Empire LSV is available from Sauter Carbon Offset Design for $17 million.

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Tags: carbon neutral, sailing, superyacht, yacht, yachts

Masdar, Abu Dhabi's Green City Prepares For First Residents

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Green, Real Estate Developments

Masdar, a green city in Abu Dhabi designed by the British architecture firm Foster + Partners planned to be the world's first zero-carbon and zero-waste city in the world is nearing first stage completion after a three year journey. This car-free zone is being driven by Abu Dhabi's Future Energy Company and will be home to the company's headquarters and a new university. The project was unveiled at the Cityscape conference in Abu Dhabi back in 2007.

The land around the city will be home to wind and photovoltaic farms as well as research fields and plantations so that the city is completely self-sustaining but skepticism about Masdar's ability to succeed have trailed the project. The Masdar Institute is due to welcome its first residents this September but it has been no easy road. The project is currently facing its first review. The project was rebranded from "zero carbon" to "carbon neutral" and the parent company recently cut its work force. A piece on Greentech chronicles some of the difficulties which have included sandstorms that limited the solar capacity.

The $22 billion carbon neutral Masdar City project is still planned to provide seven percent of the United Arab Emirates' power with renewable energy sources by 2020 even though the project is behind schedule. In a statement Lord Forster of Foster + Partners said that "Masdar has far reaching significance as a test-bed and an integrated urban research project of unprecedented scale and ambition." Whatever happens with the project is a learning experience not just for Abu Dhabi but for a world trying to go green. It has captured global attention, above, German chancellor Angela Merkel checks out the model of the project.

Tags: abu dhabi, carbon neutral, green, masdar, Masdar city, MasdarCity

The Belgrave Trust, Carbon Offsets For The Luxury Set

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

The Belgrave Trust has a unique proposal, make living carbon neutral easier and more appealing to the luxury consumer. The Belgrave Trust website helps members learn how to offset their entire lifestyle and easily purchase offsets. Many websites can help you offset the cost of a flight or road trip but the Belgrave Trust appeals to the lifestyle of the high-end consumer, showing offsets for things like private jet travel and wine collecting, allowing members to create a specific profile tailored to their lifestyle. For example, the site can help calculate offsets for recreational flying or yachting and can be set up to manage your total carbon usage. The world's most affluent people are responsible for a greater share of the world's carbon emissions. The Belgrave Trust challenges its members to assume a leadership role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The relatively new organization has made a big push toward the affluent crowd but in a quiet way. They recently partnered with Cirrus Aviation and Aston Martin on an event. The message is clear, that green is luxe and carbon offsets are as much a part of the affluent lifestyle as a luxury automobile or a designer purse. The site is by invitation only but we've got a link for Luxist readers here. Read on for more details about how The Belgrave Trust works.

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Tags: belgrave trust, BelgraveTrust, carbon credits, carbon footprint, carbon neutral, CarbonCredits, CarbonFootprint, CarbonNeutral, the belgrave trust, TheBelgraveTrust

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NetJets Europe Makes Carbon Neutral Flying Mandatory

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings, Green

The move toward encouraging users of private jets to pay for carbon offsets has for the most part been optional with a strong dose of guilt. Now The Guardian reports that NetJets Europe has upped the ante by making carbon offsetting compulsory for its customers. The company is set to announce that all the new customers will have the cost of offsets added to their bills, adding around 4,000 euros to the bill for each NetJets customer. Existing customers will be signed up for the added cost when they renew their contracts. The chairman of NetJets Europe was quoted as saying in the article that he does not believe the added cost will damage sales and that the customers have driven this move. NetJets will invest in the carbon offset projects of EcoSecurities.

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Tags: carbon neutral, carbon offset, CarbonNeutral, ecosecurities, netjets, private jets

Chilean Winery Goes Carbon Neutral

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

The drive to go carbon neutral has hit wineries outside the United States. Decanter reports that the Chilean winery Cono Sur has announced a carbon offsetting project and an aid package for indigenous people. The Cono Sur and Isla Negra wines will bear the CarbonNeutral trademark. The winery has chosen The CarbonNeutral Company to help them offset carbon emissions created by sending the wines to market. As the article in Decanter points out, it's partly a strategic move, carbon neutral products are becoming more important to consumers around the globe.

Other ways to drink carbon neutral include:
Scotland's plans for a carbon neutral distillery
Parducci winery goes carbon neutral

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Tags: carbon neutral, chile, cono sur, eco friendly, green, wine

Plans For A Carbon-Neutral Distillery

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Everyone is trying to go carbon neutral lately. Up next, plans for Scotland's first carbon-neutral distillery. Euan Shand, managing director of Duncan Taylor & Co, a Highlands-based whisky bottling group plans to spend up to £3.5m on a distillery, visitor center, offices, warehousing and bottling complex in Huntly near Aberdeen to produce single malt and grain whisky, vodka and gin without putting an added drain on the environment. The plant will be powered by burning woodchips and will operate as a separate venture to Duncan Taylor & Co with private financing. An old creamery will house the distillery building. Eventually the plant will produce around 750,000 liters of alcohol per year. It will be home to single-malt copper pot stills, a four-column neutral grain plant and an experimental still. Construction could be complete by next summer and blended whisky, gin and vodka will be made while the distillery's first batch of single malt whisky ages for a potential reveal in 2018.

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Tags: carbon neutral, distillery, scotch, scotland, whisky

Masdar, Plans For A Carbon-Neutral City

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Luxury Travel & Hotels

The science-fiction-style picture above depicts what British architecture firm Foster + Partners sees as the future of urban living. The walled city of Masdar in Abu Dhabi will be the world's first zero-carbon and zero-waste city in the world. This car-free zone is being driven by Abu Dhabi's Future Energy Company and will be home to the company's headquarters and a new university. The project was unveiled at the Cityscape conference in Abu Dhabi. The land around the city will be home to wind and photovoltaic farms as well as research fields and plantations so that the city is completely self-sustaining. The development is set to open in late 2009.

[via Building]

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Tags: abu dhabi, carbon neutral, eco-friendly, emission free, green, masdar, urban planning

A New Visa Card For Spending Green

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Services

Your Centurion card comes with a lot of perks but saving the planet isn't one of them. The first card that purports to do that is the ReDirect Guide Visa , a credit card that promises to help fight climate change with every purchase and offers customers discounts from green businesses. A percentage of each purchase goes to carbon offset programs to fund renewable energy and sustainable development programs through Sustainable Travel International. The card is offered through ShoreBank Pacific which is the first FDIC-insured commercial bank in the U.S. committed to sustainable community development.

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Tags: carbon credits, carbon neutral, carbon offset, credit card, visa

Cerulean Jet Plans To Neutralize Carbon Emissions

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Another jet company has made a move to carbon neutrality following Silverjet's lead. Cerulean Jet, a private air charter service has announced that they are taking steps to neutralize the carbon emissions for all chartered flights. The company will be purchasing carbon offsets from Green Mountain Energy Company's eMission Solutions division to offset the carbon footprint caused from carbon dioxide emission from flights. Cerulean will purchase carbon offsets from Green Mountain for 100 percent of its entire fleet's flights for one year. Through their eMissions division Green Mountain works with reforestation as well as solar and wind power projects. Cerulean offers four different card-based charter services offering on demand service with no membership fee or membership services with fees that offer a reduction in the cost of flights.

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Tags: carbon neutral, carbon offset, cerulean, charter, green, jet

Silverjet Promises Carbon Neutral Flight

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Our friends over at Helium Report got me thinking about carbon neutral flight recently and so I found the news that SIlverjet promises to be the first carbon netural airline particularly interesting. What does it mean to be carbon neutral? Basically it means that all of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions used are offset. Silverjet includes within ticket prices a mandatory carbon offset contribution. I first heard of Silverjet last April and they are launching their first trans-Atlantic flight on January 25. Silverjet, which specializes in the London to New York hop, offers a private terminal experience that lets you arrive for your flight 30 minutes before departure. The flights also come with flat bed seats and there is also a women's only toilet. Prices start at $1,798.

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Tags: carbon neutral, eco-friendly, environment, flight, london, new york, silverjet