We were delighted to be asked by Cornell’s Campus Sustainability Office to help them make a most appropriate gift to departing director Dan Roth – a certificate for offsetting the emissions from the around-the-world trip that Dan and his wife, Farah Hussein, will be taking in the coming year.  Dan and Farah head first to Hawaii, with plans to visit India and then Africa, to create a global initiative on health and sustainability.

Our carbon calculator showed that a trip for two via NYC-Honolulu-New Delhi-Johannesburg-NYC would create just shy of 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.  Bert Bland from Cornell Facilities passed the hat among Dan’s campus and community friends and colleagues to purchase the offset through the Finger Lakes Climate Fund.  Carbon offset donations are used for grants to fund energy efficiency projects that would not otherwise be possible in low to moderate income households in the Finger Lakes region. These grants help pay for insulation, air sealing, energy efficient heating equipment, and other upgrades to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

The certificate for their offset was presented at Dan’s farewell party on February 3.  Dan participated in the original study circles that led to the creation of Sustainable Tompkins eleven years ago.  We will miss his unique leadership in our local sustainability movement.  Aloha to Dan and Farah!