Women in the North American Triratna ordination process have expressed concern about the impact of air travel on climate change.
Many will be traveling to Mexico for retreat this October. Attendees are encouraged to offset the harmful effects of their flights by purchasing a carbon offset from Carbon Footprint. With the support of Order members two mitras in the ordination process, Nancy Artz and Mary Salome, carefully reviewed options for trip-based offsets. Criteria included cost, web site ease of use, organizational mission, and the quality of the offsets. For travel to Mexico this October, Carbon Footprint rose to the top.
Those who are able can purchase offsets by selecting the “Flights” tab at https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx [HINT: no need to enter personal details on the welcome page – just click the Flights tab]. Payment can be in US dollars, Euros, or British pounds.
Canadians may prefer to use https://www.offsetters.ca/ because the default payment is Canadian dollars. Its certifications are as good as the carbon footprint site.
Even those who aren't going on a particular retreat can help offset emissions generated by teachers and trainees who lack the financial means to offset their personal travel. This can be done by buying an offset for a typical flight on https://www.cooleffect.org/content/travel-offset. We suggest this site because it offers a straightforward way to purchase offsets without a specific travel itinerary in mind.
This encouragement comes from a small group of volunteers who are not suggesting that carbon offsets are a perfect solution. Instead, they recommend offsets as a helpful starting point to address the climate crisis. The same group is now exploring better ways to offset emissions for North American 2020 training retreats, while remaining sensitive to those with tight budgets.