Reforestation through Clean Travel payments
Posted 11-17-2008 at 01:36 PM by emmanuelgr
In Costa Rica, the clean travel system is voluntary and allows a tourist or national to travel by plane and pay to offset the emissions of greenhouse gases generated by this type of transport.
This possibility has been available since 2007 and is coordinated locally by the National Forestry Financing Fund (FONAFIFO by its initials in Spanish). It is done through a special website at FONDO NACIONAL DE FINANCIAMIENTO FORESTAL which calculates the amount of C02 a trip produces and how much should be paid to mitigate it.
Alberto Garcia, Arguedas, an official of Resource Management at FONAFIFO, said that as of November 11 this year, this mechanism had successfully carried out 615 “Clean Trips” and mitigated 2165 tons of carbon dioxide (C02).
Among the users of this mechanism, 213 Costa Ricans and 402 foreign users are highlighted. Garcia said that in financial terms, the amount that has been gathered through this “Clean Travel” mechanism is over USD $10,825, or approximately ˘6,062,000.
“These resources are being invested in eight projects in the form of both reforestation of native and commercial tree species,” said the expert.
In Costa Rica there is a reforestation project in Guanacaste, four in Alajuela, one in Heredia, another in Limon and the other in San Jose, explained Garcia.
FONAFIFO gives anyone the possibility to mitigate the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced their flight by paying for it.
Each ton of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere by a trip by airplane has a cost of USD $5, some ˘2,800. According to an international consensus, that amount should finance the conservation of a given forest area in Costa Rica. Forests capture CO2 and convert it into oxygen. Hence, the importance of maintaining the trees to capture this gas and thus combat climate change.
Under this mechanism, a direct trip (nonstop) from Costa Rica to the United States, Brazil or Argentina emits three tons of CO2 per person into the atmosphere. For that reason, if the traveler wants to offset the emissions from that trip, he must pay about USD $15 or ˘8400. By the same token, travel to Germany, Italy or to the Congo emits six tons of CO2 per person and then, to compensate for it, you can pay $30, which is about ˘ 16,800.
In the same way, a trip to Australia which emits eight tons of CO2 into the atmosphere may be offset by the payment of USD $45 or the equivalent of ˘22,400.
Finally, on a trip to Indonesia, Rwanda and Bangladesh from Costa Rica a person emits 12 tons of CO2, which can be offset by a payment of USD $60 for the preservation of national forests, that is, ˘33,600.
The process can be done online from anywhere in the world by visiting the website FONDO NACIONAL DE FINANCIAMIENTO FORESTAL.
“To make the payment, you can use credit cards or Visa or Master Card debit cards (issued by anyone in the world),” Alberto Garcia stressed.
“This service is available this year in Spanish and English,” added Garcia.
At the end of the buying process, each user can choose whether he or she wants a money receipt or a certificate of greenhouse gas mitigation. “In both cases, the payment can be deducted from the income tax in Costa Rica,” the official concluded.
This is a proposal that TicosLand.com supports and we invite all our Internet users, if they have the possibility of traveling, to pay to mitigate the CO2 that such a trip releases into the atmosphere. Although it is a time of financial crisis, we can always do something to protect our environment.
This possibility has been available since 2007 and is coordinated locally by the National Forestry Financing Fund (FONAFIFO by its initials in Spanish). It is done through a special website at FONDO NACIONAL DE FINANCIAMIENTO FORESTAL which calculates the amount of C02 a trip produces and how much should be paid to mitigate it.
Alberto Garcia, Arguedas, an official of Resource Management at FONAFIFO, said that as of November 11 this year, this mechanism had successfully carried out 615 “Clean Trips” and mitigated 2165 tons of carbon dioxide (C02).
Among the users of this mechanism, 213 Costa Ricans and 402 foreign users are highlighted. Garcia said that in financial terms, the amount that has been gathered through this “Clean Travel” mechanism is over USD $10,825, or approximately ˘6,062,000.
“These resources are being invested in eight projects in the form of both reforestation of native and commercial tree species,” said the expert.
In Costa Rica there is a reforestation project in Guanacaste, four in Alajuela, one in Heredia, another in Limon and the other in San Jose, explained Garcia.
FONAFIFO gives anyone the possibility to mitigate the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced their flight by paying for it.
Each ton of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere by a trip by airplane has a cost of USD $5, some ˘2,800. According to an international consensus, that amount should finance the conservation of a given forest area in Costa Rica. Forests capture CO2 and convert it into oxygen. Hence, the importance of maintaining the trees to capture this gas and thus combat climate change.
Under this mechanism, a direct trip (nonstop) from Costa Rica to the United States, Brazil or Argentina emits three tons of CO2 per person into the atmosphere. For that reason, if the traveler wants to offset the emissions from that trip, he must pay about USD $15 or ˘8400. By the same token, travel to Germany, Italy or to the Congo emits six tons of CO2 per person and then, to compensate for it, you can pay $30, which is about ˘ 16,800.
In the same way, a trip to Australia which emits eight tons of CO2 into the atmosphere may be offset by the payment of USD $45 or the equivalent of ˘22,400.
Finally, on a trip to Indonesia, Rwanda and Bangladesh from Costa Rica a person emits 12 tons of CO2, which can be offset by a payment of USD $60 for the preservation of national forests, that is, ˘33,600.
The process can be done online from anywhere in the world by visiting the website FONDO NACIONAL DE FINANCIAMIENTO FORESTAL.
“To make the payment, you can use credit cards or Visa or Master Card debit cards (issued by anyone in the world),” Alberto Garcia stressed.
“This service is available this year in Spanish and English,” added Garcia.
At the end of the buying process, each user can choose whether he or she wants a money receipt or a certificate of greenhouse gas mitigation. “In both cases, the payment can be deducted from the income tax in Costa Rica,” the official concluded.
This is a proposal that TicosLand.com supports and we invite all our Internet users, if they have the possibility of traveling, to pay to mitigate the CO2 that such a trip releases into the atmosphere. Although it is a time of financial crisis, we can always do something to protect our environment.
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