Don Bain and Michael Gillenwater discuss a personal carbon dilemma – should I fly or should I drive? A recent trip prompted Don to try 5 different on-line carbon calculators for air travel when trying to compare the carbon intensity of airline travel versus travel by auto. The carbon calculators gave surprisingly different results for the same air travel data.

Michael gives an overview of Radiative Forcing in the context of emissions from air travel.

Want a more scientific look into carbon calculators for air travel? We highly recommend Carbon Offsetting & Air Travel, Part 1: CO2-Emissions Calculations, by Anja Kollmuss & Jessica Lane. 

We love listener feedback and ideas. Email us at podcast@ghginstute.org.


Should I fly or drive?

A tax on greenhouse gas emissions, a.k.a. carbon tax, is one policy mechanism for addressing climate change. The Canadian Province of British Columbia implemented a carbon tax in 2008 and reports of experience with it are now in papers and the press. Don Bain and Michael Gillenwater discuss the tax and some of the lessons learned. Michael points out some of the implementation challenges.

Details of the tax are available at http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/tbs/tp/climate/carbon_tax.htm. Press articles include http://grist.org/climate-energy/what-we-can-learn-from-british-columbias-carbon-tax/ and http://www.economist.com/blogs/americasview/2014/07/british-columbias-carbon-tax.

We love listener feedback and ideas. Email us at podcast@ghginstute.org.


British Columbia's Carbon Tax

Get ready! The Greenhouse Gas Accounting Standards Council, GHG-ASC, is coming. 

Don and Michael go over the features of an exciting new organization dedicated to recognizing leading GHG accounting practice in companies. Recorded 1 April 2015, a formal announcement will come after details are finalized and key positions filled. Email podcast@ghginstitute.org for questions or more information.

Greenhouse Gas Accounting Standards Council

Don Bain and Michael Gillenwater respond to posted comments and emails from you. We are very grateful to our listeners for taking the time to contact us. We want to hear from you. Please email podcast@ghginstitute.org

Listener Feedback - 1

Michael Gillenwater offers commentary on the state of COP21 negotiations leading up to Paris as of 24 October 2015. Don Bain gives first-hand reports from Climate Week 23 September 2015.

The COP negotiation text referred to in the podcast may be found at http://unfccc.int/files/adaptation/application/pdf/mechanical_light_editing.pdf. Photo of Manhattan during Climate Week (by Don Bain).

As always, questions, comments and suggestions welcome at podcast@ghginstitute.org

Negotiations Leading Up to Paris and  Reports from Climate Week

Michael Gillenwater is just back from COP-21 in Paris. Don Bain followed the agreement from afar. Listen in on their discussion of first impressions. Look for more detailed analysis in future episodes.

Read the agreement for yourself at http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09r01.pdf. Check out the excellent coverage of the event and development of the agreement at http://parisagreement.org/.

We want to hear from you. Please email  podcast@ghginstitute.org . 


First Impressions of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change

Don Bain and Michael Gillenwater are joined by Mr. Philip Gass, International Institute for Sustainable Development. Philip reflects on Carbon Policy in Canada after COP21 in Paris. This conversation was recorded in Seoul, Korea.

Carbon Policy in Canada after COP21

Conversations at the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute:  A podcast series with Don Bain, Michael Gillenwater, and their guests. Listen in as they discuss the latest news, policy, and note-worthy events impacting carbon management.  Topics touch on sustainability, carbon footprinting, life cycle assessment, and green business. These are the informal but important conversations we’re having inside the Institute.

GHG and Carbon Management

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