Carbon Neutral: Definitions - OLD SITE - CLICK HERE FOR NEW SITE
It's NOT Carbon Offsetting
Arcola Theatre considers going "carbon neutral" to involve the minimisation of heat and electrical energy consumption combined with the on-site generation of renewable energy.
This is different from "carbon offsetting", where endeavours generating any amount of carbon can claim carbon neutrality by paying for the planting of trees or a reduction in pollution somewhere else.
That is not to say that carbon offsetting is necessarily a bad thing. But it is distinctly different. To say that paying a (surprisingly small) amount of money makes an endeavour carbon neutral devalues the term.
Further information can be found on Wikipedia. The entry for carbon neutral is as follows:
"Being carbon neutral, or carbon neutrality, refers to the practice of balancing carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, with renewable energy that creates a similar amount of useful energy, so that the net carbon emissions are zero. This may be extended to include other greenhouse gases measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence.
The term is also used in connection with the practice, criticized by some, of carbon offsetting - where an investment is made in a 'carbon project' that should lead to the prevention of future greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere in the world, or in projects that will lead to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, for example by planting trees." Wikipedia (08/07/07)
NET or PEAK Energy Consumption
An important decision in devising this scheme involved deciding whether we wanted to become energy independent by installing enough renewables to meet our peak power requirements, or to become carbon neutral by installing enough renewables to meet our net energy consumption over the course of a year.
The large peak in electricity demand during theatre shows, means that being energy independent would require far more machinery than satifying our net consumption; thus, like most schemes, we have opted for net carbon neutrality.
What is included? - What about travel, waste, etc?
This scheme includes the total electricity and heat requirments of the theatre building, but does not presently involve the full Carbon Footprint of our activities (travel to work, purchasing etc).
In parallel with our work on energy, we will also be developing and implementing environmental impact management best practices for arts organisations. Arcola is involved in developing such practices in partnership with key UK funding bodies.