The Union for Reform Judaism has committed to offsetting a portion of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the 2007 Biennial but in order for us to go completely carbon neutral we need your help!

About Carbon Offsets

All of us create carbon dioxide pollution in our daily activities, especially when we travel. The Union has committed to "offsetting" the carbon generated by our staff's travel, as well as the energy we use in the Convention Center.

Carbon offsetting is a rather simple idea. People produce carbon dioxide but there are various actions we can do to soak up that CO2. Planting a tree, for example, naturally absorbs one ton of carbon dioxide in its lifetime. Building an average industrial wind turbine can save as much as 1,500 tons (3 million pounds) of CO2 annually. Calculating your carbon footprint then funding green policies equal to the amount of CO2 you emit allows you to become carbon neutral.

One of the "dirtiest" elements of the Biennial is the CO2 produced by participants traveling to San Diego. For that reason we are asking you to offset your biennial travel. Individually this can be an inexpensive endeavor (approximately $6.25 for roundtrip flight from Philadelphia, for example) and when we all work together to fund carbon offsets our positive environmental impact is magnified.

About our Carbon Neutrality Partners

For the Biennial, the Union has chosen to work with two well-established partners to offset our carbon emissions: Carbon Fund and JNF.

CarbonFund is a non-profit organization that promotes affordable ways to offset carbon dioxide pollution. They do this through supporting three green projects: renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation. Their wise motto is "reduce what you can, offset what you can't" - an approach the URJ endorses. The URJ has directed their carbon offsets to the renewable and efficiency projects.

The Jewish National Fund, which is best known for planting trees in Israel for over one hundred years, has recently launched their latest environmental leadership campaign: GoNeutral. This project puts a twist on traditional tree planting by allowing you to plant in terms of carbon offsets. Because CO2 knows no country boundaries planting a tree in Israel is just as beneficial as planting one in your state - either tree will absorb an equal amount carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Reforestation is one of the most important global environmental initiatives to support.

TO PARTICIPATE

FIRST: Calculate your carbon footprint With CarbonFund or use the JNF carbon calculator to decide how many trees to purchase.
SECOND:  Purchase CarbonFund offsets HERE or plants trees in Israel with JNF HERE

The average person emits roughly 23 tons of carbon dioxide each year so while you’re visiting these donation sites consider offsetting a little more than just your biennial travel CO2.