Offsetting Bear Mountain Capital’s Carbon Footprint
Bear Mountain Capital believes in supporting our community. We donate our time and money to many worthwhile causes in the Seattle area, from arts and education to disease cure/prevention and environmental causes. When we heard about Forterra’s new initiative to work with companies and organizations in the region to help offset their impact on their environment, we were excited to get involved. Through Forterra’s Evergreen Carbon Capture Program (ECC), Bear Mountain Capital has committed to doing our part to voluntarily reduce our impact on the climate through the mitigation of our carbon emissions.We are three years into our support of ECC and are very proud to be a part of this initiative. We believe the sooner you start to account for your affect on the environment around you, the better we all will be in the future. Below are a few data points highlighting our involvement.
Approximately 5 tons annually. A relatively small number compared to many local businesses and organizations.
How many tons of carbon are you offsetting in 2015?
Given our relatively small footprint, and the reasonable cost to offset each ton, we’ve committed to offsetting approximately 30 times our current annual footprint. This is the equivalent of approximately 150 tons of CO2.
What exactly is done to offset Bear Mountain Capital’s footprint?
Our donation to ECC has gone toward the planting of 30 trees, which were planted in the Watershed Park in Kirkland. This planting occurred on January 28th and was led by the Green Kirkland Partnership, a partnership that works “to engage the local community in the restoration and care of natural areas in City parks.”
What is Forterra and the Evergreen Carbon Capture?
Forterra is the largest conversation and community building organization in the Northwest. Forterra launched the Evergreen Carbon Capture (formerly C3 program) in 2012 with the help of local community leaders. We are proud to be one of the founding partners of the ECC program and look forward to continuing support of this organization as it grows and develops in the region.
How many trees have been planted so far by Forterra?
As of 2014, Forterra has distributed over 11,000 trees to 33 sites across the Puget Sound region. Over their lifetime, these trees collectively will sequester approximately 54,000 tons of carbon.
How can my business or organization get involved?
Participants calculate their carbon footprint, which is comprised of emissions from operations such as energy, vehicle miles, waste and water usage. They then select a carbon mitigation goal and Forterra and its Field Partners will implement projects to sequester the designated amount of carbon. Companies that want to forge an even greater connection with the local community have the opportunity to have employees or customers volunteer in tree planting events to plant Evergreen Carbon Capture trees. Contact EvergreenCarbon@forterra.org to learn how your company can get involved.
Can I contribute at an individual level if I prefer?
The average American contributes 10.37 tons of carbon per year to the atmosphere. Forterra will plant two trees per person to mitigate your footprint. Mitigate your footprint now!