The tipping point?

 

climate-change-picture

Any day now, the earth will pass a new milestone.  Far away from where most of you live, but not so far from me, in a remote location of Tasmania, Australia, there is a place called Grim Point.  For decades now, scientists at Grim Point have been collecting air quality data, which includes concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air.

Well the latest record related to our atmosphere that we are breaking, is that for the first time in recorded history the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air has reached 400 parts per million (PPM).  Why is this so significant?  Mostly, because it is so remote, it is said that Grim Point has the world’s cleanest air. Hence this new milestone is being seen as a point of no return for humanity.

For non-scientists, parts per million is a measure of the concentration (mass) of a chemical in water or in this case, the air. So for example the 400 ppm means for every 1 million gas molecules in our atmosphere, about 400 are carbon dioxide molecules.

It’s important to note that as well as the carbon emissions continuing to go up, every day there are stories about the earth heating up.  This month another record has been broken – the warmest April on record. That’s seven months straight of record warm global temperatures.  2015 was the warmest year in recorded history also.  Some people might think – yippee, endless summers and hey, I like summers like the next person, but when I hear that the the coral in the Great Barrier reef is bleaching and that Greenland ice sheet has started to melt early this year (http://www.smh.com.au/environment/greenland-ice-sheet-melting-has-started-early-20160429-gohx1z.html) I start to think hold on, all of this is very troubling and is pointing to an uncertain future if we don’t start seriously looking at carbon emissions.

What is a safe level? Before the burning of coal, the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air was measured at 275 ppm.  The organisation 350.org however states that 350 ppm is a safe level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  This would equate to 1 degree global temperature increase.

CLOVELLY_LANERN-WALK

These new milestones were discussed on the radio the other day and lo and behold, there was a climate change sceptic on the radio and while I agree that we need to have a balanced view, I couldn’t get over the arguments put forward about whether there is any proof that carbon dioxide emissions are changing the earth’s climate.  Despite the many many scientists that acknowledge that carbon emission are altering the earth’s atmosphere resulting from the burning of fossil fuels, there are some that refuse to believe the facts.  It also annoys me that we still have to going to the lowest base as far as discussions are concerned.  Rather than getting on with it, we have to keep arguing the facts and justifying any action at all!

I recently watched a documentary called Ice and the Sky / La Glace et le ciel (2015). This documentary follows Claude Lorius and his many expeditions to the south pole to study glaciers.  During his studies he put forward a theory that the glaciers were able to tell us about the earth’s climate because they had layers similar to tree rings.  He was also able to see that the air bubbles caught in the ice sheets were the fossil remains of the earth’s atmosphere, so he began studying them.

Claude Lorius

The story is a great one – through his studies and ever bigger machines he was able to dig deeper and deeper into glaciers and what he was able to see was the correlation between carbon dioxide emissions and the length of warm and cold periods.  He was able to go back 800,000 years and his conclusion was the proof that carbon dioxide emissions were related to global temperatures.  I don’t want to give away more than that, but really recommend the documentary.  If you want to know more about the science behind how this important discovery was made, then please watch it.

You could even sneak it in as viewing to any climate change sceptics that you know.

Apart from getting into the nitty gritty of the science of climate change, we can all do our bit to help get carbon emissions down to 350 ppm. The mantra of ‘Think global, act local’ really can make a difference.  If we do our part, collectively we can make a difference.

Do what you can around your home:

  • Turn off lights and appliances when not in use;
  • If you can, install solar panels and make your own energy!
  • Buy accredited Green Power (sourced from renewable sources);
  • Start walking, cycling or catching public transport instead of driving;
  • Reduce, reuse or recycle your waste;
  • Get composting or worm farming!
  • Grow your own food;
  • Support your local community and buy local;
  • Discover the wonders of your local op shop (second hand store);
  • Plants trees;
  • Check out your local Council for any local action groups.

 

Spread the word:

  • Keep up to date with what organisations like 350.org (http://350.org/) Greenpeace (http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/) World Wildlife Fund (http://www.wwf.org.au/) or Australian Youth Climate Coalition (http://www.aycc.org.au/) and spread the word. Talk to colleagues, your family or neighbours.
  • Contact your local Council to see what they’re doing to address climate change. Are they making considerations of climate change risks in how they plan developments and how they design and construct stormwater systems for example?
  • For those in Australia, contact your state or local MP to see what their policies are in relation to climate change. There’s an election on right now and scant discussion about this very important topic.

 

Climate_change_human_sign_stkilda_beach_Cloud9

 

 

 

A Good Day

science-081612-004-617x416

One doesn’t often have the opportunity to say ‘yay’ and celebrate an environmental win. Today however I could say that. Today the Federal Court overturned the approval of the Carmichael Mine at Abbot Point near the Great Barrier Reef. LINK to article.

The proposed coal mine would have had a serious impact on the Great Barrier Reef. It was the source of one of my grumbles last year (https://ecomummy.com/2014/07/29/protect-the-great-barrier-reef/). So it was with much relief and excitement that read today that the Federal Court overturned the approval. It still can go ahead, which is why the pressure on the government and Greg Hunt must continue.

Please sign this petition or better  still contact Greg Hunt directly:

Greg Hunt MP
Member for Flinders
Minister for the Environment
Postal Address:
PO Box 274
Hastings Vic 3915
Electorate Office:
Shop 4/184 Salmon Street
Hastings Vic 3915
Phone: 03-5979 3188
Fax: 03-5979 3034

But that excitement wasn’t enough because today, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia joined other banks in not wanting to do business with Adani (the project proponent).

While there is always much to do, it’s always great to celebrate achievements.

celebrate-accomplishments

Childhood adventures to save the planet!

BOgey Bugz

If you were to create an environmental mascot, what would it be? Would it be a panda? A koala? Or a frog? How about a booger?  Well it was this in fact that inspired Martin Lever and his daughter Remi to create the ‘BogeyBugz’ book series.  I met Martin and Remi some years ago when I lived in Abu Dhabi. When the books were launched, he gave us a copy of the book series as a gift. At the time my son was too young to fully understand the books. But as he got older he grew to LOVE the books.  He knows all the characters off by heart and their characteristics. We had to read the BogeyBugz every night and they’ve now been a part of our lives for about 4 years. Now that my son and daughter are sharing a room, we’ve introduced the book series to her and so another BogeyBugz fan has been made.

The BogeyBugz are a great book series that teach children about different environmental issues ranging from global warming, to deforestation and pollution in a fresh way that isn’t too preachy. They’re colourful and fun and aimed at teaching these concepts to children. The books also have a ‘Facteria’ section which acts like a quiz to reinforce the concepts.

I was lucky enough to talk to the author and illustrator of the BogeyBugz, Martin Lever.

How did the concept of the Bogey Bugz come about?

I used to tell my daughter “made-up” stories when she was younger at bedtime. One evening as we were settling down for a new tale, she picked her nose as little ones do! And an idea popped into my head. What if Bogeys could be good things not bad things! Remi liked the idea…and we started to work out the characters, their personalities, and think of a cause which they could champion.

Why did you want to send out an environmental message in these books targeted at kids?

We love our planet. Sir David Attenborough is largely to thank in many ways! And while we’re not hardcore environmentalists, it’s depressing to see how much harm mankind has done to our incredible home. We also noticed that there is little to no written material for pre-schoolers and early primary schoolers that addresses the simple rights and wrongs when it comes to the environment. This seemed like a natural cause for a bunch of maverick Bogeys to adopt!

 

How were you able to make these complex environmental problems into ‘adventures’ and ‘fun’ for kids?

The key to these stories was marrying reality (ie. a real environmental problem) with fantasy. Roald Dahl was a master of the absurd. And we (I say “we” because Remi helped plot out the tales!) took inspiration from his work in trying to find the most abstract solutions to real world problems. Children’s minds are a wonderfully free-flowing font of imagination. So for every environmental issue, I simply asked myself “how would a child solve this?!”

Will the BogeyBugz go on any more adventures?

The BogeyBugz are out there right now “pickin it for the planet”. And when they get back in touch with me, I’m sure they’ll have some new adventures that need writing up

My son has a question for you: ‘Does Plasmo really know the answer to everything?’

Plasmo likes to think he knows everything! But as with all “know-alls”, he sometimes gets things wrong.

 

Well overall the books get the thumbs up from my children. My son’s favourite is ‘The Big Melt’ which is about global warming and how the Bogey Bugz save the ice caps from melting by using ice cream!

 April 2015 009

If you wanted to buy a copy of the books you can buy them online at:

http://www.amazon.com/The-BogeyBugz-Environmental-Adventures-Set/dp/9889979578

To find out more about Martin Lever and check out his talents in writing and art, go to:

https://www.behance.net/martinlever and http://www.martinlever.com/index.html

Palm Oil Detox – an Update

Oil_palm_plantation_in_Cigudeg-03

Earlier in Spring, I decided to go on a Palm Oil detox. I set myself a target of reducing palm oil in my house by 50% within 6 months. I’m about half way now and I thought I’d give an update on this journey.
After finding palm oil all too pervasive in many things within my home, I wanted to take action. While I am a lot more aware of the issues related to palm oil, I have to say it hasn’t been easy to detox.
These have been my challenges.
Time: juggling a family, work commitments and home renovations gives me little time. In fact I don’t always do the shopping and leave this to my husband, but the times that I have gone shopping since my detox mission have taken considerably longer. I usually wander through the aisles reading labels and looking up whether something is on the okay list or not according to these sources (http://www.orangutans.com.au/orangutans-survival-information/helping-you-buy-responsibly-palm-oil-free-alternatives.aspx). All in all, I end up a little frustrated and stressed because I usually need to be in and out of a supermarket quick smart.
This issue has gotten a little easier though because we’re starting to know the brands and products that are on the ‘ok’ list which saves us time trawling through websites and wandering aimlessly in supermarket aisles.
Education: As I stated earlier, my husband often does the grocery shopping, so it has taken a few goes to get him to remember to check the palm oil status of a product. The result has been some big purchases which I’m still working through…..
Again, this has gotten better as my husband now knows to check before making purchases and comes and tells me proudly when he has done his research.
Alternatives: If you’ve checked the websites for alternatives to palm oil, you will find that there are not always alternatives. For example, one night I tried to find sustainable palm oil or palm oil free ice cream, but I couldn’t. Or I should say the miniscule and very expensive tubs were not enough to convince me to buy them. Also, I recently had a few guests for an afternoon tea. Without time to bake something myself, it was a mad dash to the shops to buy something. I looked, but apart from bland biscuits there was nothing I could buy! So this got me thinking – the lack of alternatives makes it very difficult sometimes to stick to the plan. I am not a purist and I admire those that are, so I ended up with a few things in my basket which were decidedly not palm oil free. But I also did discover that some products are starting to exhibit their palm free credentials and that makes me happier because at least it’s on the radar of manufacturers as being an issue.

Peckish Brown Rice Crackers - Lightly Salted(1)

So how am I going really?
I’m doing okay. It was once starting this challenge that I realised how much toiletries I had. Some are quite old and probably not the best to use, but rather than throw things out, I’ve decided to use everything up. This is going quite well and I’m happy in that I am simplifying my life to a degree. I still have a little way to go, but actually there are alternatives that I can readily use, so once I’ve finished the various lotions and potions, I will easily transfer to sustainable palm oil or palm oil free products – yay!
This also extends to cleaning products. Thankfully I was already buying sustainable palm oil products anyway, so a small tweak going forward will have me in a better position.
Now, my main challenge is foodstuffs. I usually eat healthy, so usually buy fresh products, but sometimes I am not so healthy and buy processed foods. The next phase of my detox will be to continue the path I have chosen for where I am doing well, but also to concentrate on food! Here are some general tips from what I’ve found over the last 3 months or so:
Simplify – simplify your life. Like I said earlier, once I got all my toiletries together, I was quite surprised and I am not a person that buys a lot of toiletries to begin with. Still, I had accumulated a lot and now that I am working through them, I feel so much lighter. I am probably going to buy from now on: Sukin because they are sustainable palm oil products. This is not a paid endorsement, simply my opinion. For more info go to: http://www.sukinorganics.com/sustainability.asp?id=80&pid=3
Go natural: this is the main tip and one I have to live by more and more. While I use more ‘earth friendly’ cleaning products, I want to reduce these even more and not use many cleaning products. I did an experiment on some grout using bicarbonate soda and I was very impressed with the results. I think the mainstays in my kitchen and bathroom are going to be bicarbonate soda and white vinegar.
As for food, I am going to focus on fresh and homemade. It is one of the surest ways of knowing what’s in something anyway.
As general tips though, what I have found is:
• Opt for chocolate blocks, rather than those with a filling;
• Go for shortbread biscuits rather than filled biscuits;
• Do your research – you may have to make a choice of one things over another. For example, with candles, well that opens another can of worms in relation to soy vs palm oil: http://www.alohabay.com/people/why_no_soy_candles.html
However, I did buy MikeRa candles for my sister as a gift and I especially selected them because of the Sustainable Palm Oil certification.
Candles
• Educate those around you. This not only spreads the word, but also helps make sure that gifts that you receive are aligned with your beliefs.

Protect the Great Barrier Reef

GBR

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef in the world, one of the seven natural wonders of the world and the only living thing on earth seen from space. It is a world heritage site and a jewel in the crown of the Australian tourism industry.
All of this should be seen to be positive right? Except that the government has recently approved the construction of the largest coal port in the world to be built in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef (at Abbott Point). In order to construct this coal port, 5 million cubic meters of sediment needs to be dredged and the plan is to dump this in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. Though the government denies any negative impact to corals or sea life within it, it is hard to believe that all of that sediment floating around will have no negative impacts.
In addition to this, when the port is operational, up to 7000 ships will be passing through the great Barrier Reef transporting this coal.
This development and another proposal by Mithell Ports (another coal port) to transport coal from ship to ship in the reef are very worrying for the future of the Great Barrier Reef.
So why am I grumbling?
• For a start, I have to question the thought process that says ‘yes’ so easily to coal, but puts obstacles in the way of renewable energy;
• Then I have to really question the thought process of why anyone would think this is a good idea. I mean pristine ecosystem – hey let’s build a big coal port in the middle of it, pump it with dredged materials and increase shipping traffic through it! Aaargh!
• Even forgetting the impacts of the construction period, the ongoing operations of the port are bound to result in an accident or two, with catastrophic consequences.
Now who wants to build this port? The government has approved a company called Adani to build and run the coal port. Adani is India’s largest energy company with a poor environmental track record and giving them construction and operational rights is even more concerning.
Check out this great clip on Adani to find out more: https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/great-barrier-reef–3/adani/dont-trust-this-company-with-our-great-barrier-reef?t=dXNlcmlkPTIzNDI1MzMsZW1haWxpZD00Nzk1
Interestingly following the success of this video, Adani tried to have the video taken off the internet. For this reason, you should definitely watch it and pass it on!
The only thing stopping Adani at the moment is that they need money to finance this Coal Port. Through activism and pressure, Deutsche Bank backed down from financing the Abbott Port Coal Terminal based on environmental grounds.
Though this has set back Adani, pressure has to be maintained in order to protect the Great Barrier Reef from this monstrosity.
What can you do?
1. Contact Greg Hunt (Environment Minister) voice your opposition to this plan:
Greg Hunt MP
Member for Flinders
Minister for the Environment
Postal Address:
PO Box 274
Hastings Vic 3915
Electorate Office:
Shop 4/184 Salmon Street
Hastings Vic 3915
Phone: 03-5979 3188
Fax: 03-5979 3034
2. Lend your support to the following organization working to protect the Great Barrier Reef:
350.org: http://www.350.org/reef
GetUp: https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/great-barrier-reef–3/sign-the-petition/save-the-reef
Greenpeace: https://www.greenpeace.org.au/action/?cid=70&src=EM2
Australian Conservation Foundation: http://www.acfonline.org.au/
Fight for the Reef: http://fightforthereef.org.au/risks/mega-ports/
3. Spread the word!

Clouds of reef fish and corals, French frigate shoals, NWHI

My grumble!

Carbon Dioxide

I have not made this announcement so public yet, but I am pregnant with baby no.3! My son and daughter are excited about the impending arrival of a baby sister. I too am happy, but I have to say this pregnancy has been a lot more difficult and more grumbly. Grumbly at a lot of things, but also grumbly at the state of politics in Australia.
Before leaving to live the in the UAE, John Howard was in power. I was very happy to get away from the negativity of that era. I returned to Julia Gillard in power and all the insane PM hating stuff that went with that.
Last year’s election failed to excite. Not only because I am very busy and most of the time too busy to care, but because the choices on offer were so terrible. Tony Abbot was elected PM.
I have said previously that before I moved to the UAE, I was very active and vocal about politics. While living abroad that all changed and once I had children, I found myself with too little time to feel much for the people running Australia.
That is all, until Tony Abbot was elected who seems hell bent on taking Australia backwards. Since he came into power with the promise of ‘not lying’ nor going back on ‘promises’, Australia has witnessed the exact opposite of that. One by one, terrible policies are being announced and either people agree, or are two dumbfounded with the speed with which they are being trundled out that they are in a state of shock and don’t know how to respond. I am one of those in the latter category. Over the last 6 months I have found myself just standing there with my mouth hanging open saying ‘what, wh…how…huh?!’
I am not going to go through all of these bad policies in this blog (like the refugee ‘solution’, the cuts to health, employee rights…). I have however found another blogger who is keeping a detailed and up to date list and I really recommend everyone check this link out: http://sallymcmanus.net/abbotts-wreckage/ . The policies that I am going to grumble about in the next few blog entries are: climate change, the shark cull (though this is a Western Australian thing, the federal government does have a role to play), the campaign to have the World Heritage listing of Tasmania’s forests removed and the approval of a coal port in the Great Barrier Reef.
Climate Change
This is a big one. The Liberal government has been very vocal about this issue for a long time. From the time of John Howard when the government refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, to now and their zeal to undo any of the good work done on climate change in Australia over the last 10 years. A central part of their campaign for election was the ‘carbon tax’. The Carbon tax was introduced by Julia Gillard much to the horror of many people as she was apparently on record for saying she would never introduce it. This was seized upon as a reason to loathe her, as she was seen to be a slippery liar…..The carbon tax was about putting a price on carbon with the idea being that if you released carbon, that you should pay (polluter pays principle). The price of carbon intensive industries and goods was set to increase while others were not to be affected. The issue was that energy providers increased the cost of electricity over this period, partly due to the carbon tax, but partly for other reasons. People were angry as their energy bills went up – so the average ‘mums and dads’ were affected. I have also written an earlier post with my experiences with increased energy bills: https://ecomummy.com/2012/09/09/is-the-carbon-tax-making-me-use-less-energy/ and https://ecomummy.com/2013/02/24/my-solar-rific-success/
Tony Abbott

This was seized by the Liberal government, as they set out to undo all the positive work done in the climate change policy area once they came into power. At the moment, they are in the process of trying to reverse this ‘tax’ and replace it with their own climate change policy called ‘Direct Action’. The Direct Action policy is set to come into effect as soon as the carbon tax gets repealed (1 July 2014). It works by giving manufacturers and businesses financial assistance for efficiency measures (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-20/coalition-climate-change-direct-action-policy-explained/5067188). One of the many problems with this policy is that there is no penalty for projects that fail to achieve their predicted reduction targets, so they get money for possibly doing something without any recourse if they do nothing! I don’t see how this is the answer.
To ensure there is confusion amongst the public so as to reduce opposition to the new policies to be released, one of the first things the government did was to get rid of the Climate Commission. The Climate Commission was set up to be an independent body whose role was to communicate and explain the science of climate change to the public. With the body gone, obviously the government is counting on confusion to get its policies through without questioning from the media or the Australian public.
Now where my grumble really starts is that in addition to this change, the government is looking at changing the renewable energy target (RET) established by previous governments. The target is 20% of energy sources to come from renewable sources. Tony Abbott wants to reduce this and is going about it by banging on about how renewable energy projects are making electricity more expensive. Now in my mind, I keep thinking about how this could be true….as well as energy efficiency, renewable energy is one of the most effective ways of addressing climate change. Australia with its abundance of sunshine should be taking advantage of that by becoming a world leader, rather than discouraging it. I honestly don’t see how having solar and wind energy in the mix should be damned, rather than celebrated. To top it off, the head of the review panel into the RET is headed by a climate skeptic, so its recommendations should probably not be surprising at all!
I could go on and on about the negativity that is being trumpeted up and the lies and misconceptions that the government is spreading, but I’ll stop my grumble for now. While it is easy to feel helpless during this debate, but there are things that we can all do to ensure the voices of those that question the sanity of these policies are heard:
• Write to the Environment Minister, Greg Hunt and make your opposition to these policies known:
Shop 4/184 Salmon Street
Hastings VIC 3915
Phone: 03 5979 3188
Fax: 03 5979 3034
Email: http://www.greghunt.com.au/ContactGreg.aspx
• Check out what actions are happening to address climate change at http://cana.net.au/
• Keep your eye on 350.org for actions they are working on: http://350.org/
• Participate in events like ‘Earth Hour’: http://www.earthhour.org.au
• Make changes in your own life to reduce your impact on climate change.

Making a difference

It is scary how spring like winter felt and how summer like spring is feeling in Sydney. Yes, lots of people are probably enjoying this unseasonally warm weather, and while I’m enjoying it too, I am a little worried.
Many people in the developed world can get by by having access to water and by turning on our air conditioner, but others including our flora and fauna have to manage with these changes somehow.
While a global solution is needed at the government level, I truly believe that individual action can have a big impact.
Here is an article I would like to share, hoping that it inspires you!

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/your-planet-needs-you-10-ways-to-help-20131003-2uuub.html

September 2013 140

Travelling Neutrally

I recently went back to the UAE and Iran to visit family and friends. It was a great trip. My son got to hang out with his ‘best friend Jack’. These two munchkins were inseparable and I know that my son found it difficult being separated from Jack. When they saw each other again, it was not like they had been separated for over a year.
While the trip was relaxing, I did wander about my carbon emissions from the flights.In the past I had purchased carbon credits to ‘neutralise’ my emissions.
What are carbon credits?
As part of global efforts to address the greenhouse effect or climate change, a mechanism has been developed called the Clean Development Mechanism with the aim of trading carbon between countries. The way it works is that a country is given an amount of carbon that they are allowed to emit (their quota). The Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protcol allows developed (Annex 1) countries to exceed their CO2 quota by investing in projects that help the developing countries and also result in a reduction in carbon emissions.
So how does this relate to my holiday?
As Carbon dioxide emissions are released through the aviation sector (the aviation industry is said to account for 1.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions ), reductions are important. Some airlines provide the opportunity for travellers to offset their carbon emissions by purchasing carbon credits (Eg Japanese Airlines, Virgin, Scandanavian Airlines), while other don’t.
I flew with Etihad who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Masdar (big carbon ‘neutral’ project in the UAE. For more information on Masdar, go to: http://www.masdar.ae ). However I had decided to offset the emissions from my travel with my family. Using an on-line calculator I have estimated that for my return flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi and from Dubai to Esfahan that we emitted 5.5 tonnes of CO2.! (to calculate your carbon emissions, go to: http://www.carbonneutral.com.au/carbon-calculator.html )
Who offers carbon offsets?
There are a range of companies that offer certified carbon offsets and that is the key word ‘certified’. It’s important to buy from a trusted company with third party independent verification of their projects and their claims.
There are various ways that carbon offsets are ‘produced’:
• Renewable energy projects;
• Energy efficiency projects;
• Reforestation; and
• Preservation of forests (that is paying to prevent forestry).
As an individual, there may be different criteria that you have personally for how you want your money invested. For me I am interested in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Of the renewable energy options I prefer solar and wind and do not want to support hydro projects.
For this trip, after much much research, I have selected a project on improved cooking methods in South Africa from Fair Climate Fund (http://www.fairclimatefund.nl/en/projecten/). This project provides stoves to families which they can use for their cooking. It improves their health and reduces their carbon emissions as compared the stoves they previously used. By purchasing to offset 6 tonnes of CO2 from my trip I can now say that I travelled neutrally and to top it off, it didn’t really cost too much at all (about $AUD70)!
Lessons Learnt
After navigating the world web for hours, I have come to realize that it is quite hard to find the information that may help others make a similar decision. The Australian websites seemed to be very much geared towards corporate companies, rather than individuals. The language was technical and the links not intuitive.
Overall, it was quite hard. The website that I found the least cumbersome was this:

Home


Another source of information was this website, however many of the websites I searched did not have the offsets ready to purchase: http://www.carbonoffsetguide.com.au/providers/Australasian+Carbon+Credits Provides a guide on companies offering carbon offsets

Abu Dhabi Corniche Beach
Abu Dhabi Corniche Beach

Esfahan Iran
Esfahan Iran