Flying guilt
Just before Christmas we flew to Australia for our nephew’s wedding. In three weeks we took eight flights and covered many thousands of miles. Since then I’ve been feeling challenged by the amount of CO2 our flights would have been pumping into the air, so I decided to begin a programme of off-setting by planting trees.
I would have like to have planted the trees at home but we live in the middle of a forest and our biggest worry during the summer is fire. So planting even more trees near the house would be just plain daft. I have spent a lot of time on the internet researching suitable trees and suitable schemes. Some of them seem woefully unaccountable, others make me wonder about their actual validity. However, I did find EcoTree that appears to do all the things I want it to. Firstly I could choose the type of tree, secondly the trees are planted in France and thirdly the trees are part of a planned and managed forest in Luthenay, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.
I’ve chosen Red Oaks (Quercus rubra) because they are a very fast-growing oak. Fast growing trees sequester greater quantities of CO2 than old trees, so these will be cut down after about 75 years. In theory we will be paid for the value of the trees, but since I won’t be around I’m more interested in investing in the future of the planet. Of course ancient forests are the most amazing habitats for animals and other wildlife but for now it’s CO2 I’m trying to offset.
So there you have it. My guilt is not assuaged but at least I feel like I’m doing something. However small. On looking at the site further I realised that, for a relatively small sum, I could do a standing monthly subscription. I’ve opted for one tree a month and they add a thirteenth tree at the end of the year. Over time, we’ll develop those into a small forest, but for the moment we’ve bought eleven trees. Ten red oaks and a Douglas Fir.
Here’s a link in case you feel like giving trees as a present, or as a gift to the planet.
Our trees.
