You might recall my post some time back about being carbon negative, in which it received some interesting responses. it's a concept that's been on my mind for quite some time, however it's been challenging to find the time and the method by which to approach it, as it involves literally EVERYTHING we do in all sectors of our existence and living.
So when I put that post out there; while thoughts shared on the subject from other bloggers and environmentalists were encouraging, they were probably skeptic, at best.
Even the main theme of the post, from my end, involved questioning whether or not it was possible. I believed that is was, and have maintained that position...however, as a geography major with a background in urban and environmental planning, my knowledge of how carbon negative works on a nuts and bolts level is minimal, if nonexistent.
I simply don't have enough of a science background to prove anything works (or doesn't work)...I can only go after the theory with what I know. ...but wait! Ah ha!!!
I now have some REAL INFORMATION to support the theory that carbon negative can work...and it directly involves a company and their process of manufacturing.
The company is called Guayaki, and they make herbal beverages. I chatted with a couple of reps for this company last night at Seattle's September Green Drinks event. As I read a flier from them, I noticed the equation of their carbon output in their manufacturing process (below).
Correct me if my math is wrong, but I'm seeing a carbon negative result in that process.
My conversation with a rep named Hailey brought up another variation on this theme. She mentioned that we can't think on a level of just neutralizing our carbon footprint. We need to go beyond that and think along the lines of "rehabilitating," as she put it in perfect form.
What she's talking about involves turning the corner in our own minds and how we live our lives...a sort of "paying it forward" approach.
Meaning, in other words, not just "trying" to go CARBON NEGATIVE, but fully embracing it.
I tasted the beverages that they offer, and I have to say they're really tasty with a smooth flavor. Think of it as a step up from the Arizona Tea line that you see on the shelves in grocery stores...this stuff is also available in those same stores too.
I'm very encouraged by this. This company is worth a deeper analysis to see how others can follow their example. S
Posts
2 comments:
If you're willing to kill off 5 or 6 billion people, I bet we could go carbon negative. This kind of thing just doesn't work if everyone tries to do it. We could also go to an all-human (or animal) labor force, removing machines. It would be expensive (in that it would tremendously reduce our standard of living), but that's basically what a lot of these low-emission industries do. Since they're niche industries catering to middle/upper class Americans/Europeans, they can charge premium prices to do this stuff by hand. Try that in India and you're starving a lot of people to death.
To put it another way, how much tea can you grow in the shade of a rain forest compared to an open field? Now try reducing global crop yields by that factor.
Hunter-gatherers had a better quality of life (in terms of food quality, working hours, lifespan, things like that) than any group of people until 20th century Westerners. Low population densities allow for all sorts of pleasant living conditions. That's not an option for most of 21st century Earth.
So that's it. It just simply can't work?
Like I've said in earlier posts on this subject, I don't know if the concept could work in theory...but this I do know: at the rate we're having an impact on the planet, we had better figure out something quick.
Yes, this is a challenging concept. I intend to throw your comments into the mix...but I continue this case study choosing not to throw my hands in the air, but in search of a solution.
Will there be one? Maybe, and maybe not...unfortunately I'm not a scientist and I'm working with a large learning curve...but I am a critical thinker and problem-solver...so the search for the truth continues!
Post a Comment