“Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai said, three things are of equal importance, earth, humans, and rain. Rabbi Levi ben Hiyyata said: ... to teach that without earth, there is no rain, and without rain, the earth cannot endure, and without either, humans cannot exist." (Genesis Rabbah, 13:3)
The work of tikkun olam does not just happen at home. When we travel, we can help build a more just and sustainable world, rather than make travel choices that tread heavily on our environment and our fellow human beings.
Our travels by plane, train and automobile - largely powered by fossil fuels - leave a big "carbon footprint." We can take steps to "offset" the environmental footprint of our travels supporting the production of more energy from clean, non-carbon based sources, and balance our impact through forestry and agriculture practices that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The URJ Environmental Sustainability Fund collects donations to support such projects.
Offsetting your travel requires only a small contribution, but working together our positive environmental impact can be huge!
Our current projects are the Wewoka, Oklahoma Biogas Project through Native Energy, and installation of solar penals at the Reform Kibbutz Lotan in the Arava Valley.
These projects are just examples of ways to offset the carbon dioxide and other pollution from our travels. We can continue to offset our footprint by:
- Developing clean energy: Homes, congregations, and businesses across the world are installing solar panels and windmills to generate carbon-free energy on-site, and they need financial support. Every solar or wind installation reduces carbon emissions by reducing need for fossil fuel energy, often feeding clean energy back into the electric grid. Investing in clean energy helps build a future where we can travel without a negative environmental footprint.
- Planting trees & supporting green practices: Trees naturally absorb carbon dioxide, and sustainable farming practices reduce emissions in our atmosphere and pollutants in our air and water.Tree-planting, sustainable agriculture and other green projects reduce CO2 in the atmosphere, helping your environmental impact approach "carbon neutrality."
Why Carbon Offsets?
Labor-Friendly Travel
