| About Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Carbon Credits | | | | When you purchase a carbon credit you are generally |
| Whenever you use a motor on a yacht, Carbon | | | | investing in a project that will reduce carbon emissions. |
| Dioxide (CO2) is emitted into the atmosphere. Carbon | | | | For instance, credits are often used to build wind |
| Dioxide has been scientifically linked to Global Climate | | | | generation plants, replant rainforests, create bioenergy, |
| Change and Warming. With the worldwide concern | | | | and install efficient lighting, among many others. Each |
| about Carbon Emissions, it's important to understand | | | | project creates real reductions in CO2 that would not |
| how the activity of pleasure boating and yachting | | | | have happened otherwise. Projects are funded around |
| impacts global warming and what can be done about | | | | the world, wherever funding goes farthest and has the |
| it. | | | | greatest impact. |
| Measuring Carbon Emissions | | | | Low Carbon Emissions Chartering |
| Carbon emissions are directly proportional to the | | | | The best way to charter with low carbon emissions is |
| amount of fuel burned by a yacht's motor. In general, | | | | to charter a sailboat - monohull or catamaran! While |
| burning a gallon of gasoline produces 19.564 pounds of | | | | the motor will create a small amount of CO2, you will |
| carbon dioxide. You might be surprised that a gallon of | | | | generally be using the best renewable source of |
| gasoline that weighs 6.3 pounds produces such an | | | | energy known to man, the wind! |
| enormous amount of CO2 - the reason being that the | | | | Beyond using wind as your sole propulsion, certain |
| process of burning combines the gasoline with many | | | | engines pollute less than others. 4 stroke engines, |
| times its weight in Oxygen. | | | | because the gasoline does not need to be mixed with |
| Knowing this, we can easily and accurately predict or | | | | oil, produce much lower emissions than 2 stroke |
| measure carbon emissions from boats and yachts. | | | | engines. Fuel injected engines produce fewer |
| Virtually all boat and engine manufacturers provide | | | | emissions than carburetors. And wind assisted yachts, |
| information on the amount of fuel the boats burn per | | | | that run on both sail and motor, emit less than pure |
| hour. That number, multiplied by the number of hours | | | | motor boats. |
| you cruise, will predict your carbon emissions. | | | | There is a new class of sailboat emerging that act |
| Alternatively, at the end of a trip, you can just add up | | | | similar to hybrid cars to reduce emissions. These boats |
| the number of gallons or liters of fuel burned and do | | | | use electric motors instead of diesel or gasoline, run by |
| the same calculation for an exact figure. | | | | powerful batteries. These batteries can be |
| Offsetting CO2 Emissions | | | | regenerated by the spinning propellers while the boat is |
| There are a variety of organizations that allow you to | | | | moving under sail, similar to a hybrid car. So they |
| buy "carbon credits" to offset the emissions you | | | | effectively are "Green" boats that produce almost no |
| create while chartering. The United Nations works with | | | | carbon emissions at all! Some are even efficient |
| many charities and NPOs to certify projects that will | | | | enough to offer air-conditioning, so you can have |
| reduce carbon emissions (more about this below). | | | | comfort with no negative environmental impact. The |
| To get an idea of what this might all cost, here's a | | | | leading production boat is the Lagoon 420 Hybrid. |
| simple example. Consuming 100 liters of fuel will | | | | But these are just first steps - the majority of boats |
| produce 516 pounds of CO2 emissions, which will cost | | | | and yachts still emit large quantities of CO2 into the |
| approximately £1.76/EUR2.51 or $3.52 to | | | | atmosphere. The best thing to do right now is to |
| purchase carbon offsets. Similarly 50 gallons of fuel | | | | purchase Carbon Offsets that have immediate impact. |
| burned will create 978 pounds of emissions, costing | | | | Click here if you'd like more information about how to |
| £3.33 or EUR4.75 or $6.66. A small cost to do | | | | calculate and purchase carbon credits for your yacht |
| your part to reduce Climate Change! | | | | emissions. |
| What are the Credits used for? | | | | |