Pioneering Carbon Balancing Program

The Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance (MEA) has entered into an agreement with Trees, Water & People (TWP), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, to carbon-balance all our itineraries. While we have been carbon-balancing our trips for a number of years, we became disillusioned by for-profit carbon balancing companies and the emphasis shifting to receiving a certificate rather than supporting actual work on the ground. So we have pioneered this program with TWP which creates a "basket" of benefits to the countries we visit and our contributions for carbon balancing go directly to projects on the ground in Central America!

Participants may also carbon-balance their international flights through this program.

Background: TWP has been planting trees in Mesoamerica since 1998 and building fuel-efficient woodstoves since 1999. These projects were originally designed to benefit local forests and families, but have simultaneously combated global warming. Therefore, you can offset your CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use by making a donation to plant trees or build fuel-efficient stoves in Mesoamerica. The beauty of the partnership between MEA and TWP is that our carbon offset activities benefit the same region and peoples that MEA tours visit. After falling in love with Mesoamerican cultures and ecosystems during a tour, you now give something back to them while neutralizing your carbon footprint.

How it works: We calculate the carbon footprint for each itinerary and then make an appropriate financial contribution to TWP, who then invest these funds directly in either Justa stoves or reforestation projects.

TWP offsets CO2 emissions by building Justa stoves for needy families in Mesoamerica. The Justa stove is an insulated wood-burning stove that uses less than half as much firewood as a traditional Central American stove or open fire. Upgrading a family from a traditional stove to an improved stove avoids the release of at least 7.5 metric tons of CO2 (for calculations, see www.treeswaterpeople.org/carbon_calc.htm In addition the Justa stove reduces deforestation by reducing demand for firewood, benefiting future generations and wildlife. The Justa stove has a chimney to take harmful smoke out of the kitchen. Traditional stoves are not vented, and the women and children who spend the most time in the kitchen are exposed to a great deal of smoke and carbon monoxide. This can lead to acute respiratory infections, cataracts, and low birth weight babies, among other health problems. Therefore TWP's carbon offset activities have significant additional benefits to people and the environment.

TWP also plants high-value tree species to avoid trees being burned and their carbon released as CO2. Fine tropical hardwoods are harvested after 15-40 years to make furniture, where their carbon is stored for decades. Fruit and nut trees will also fix carbon for decades. TWP plants Spanish cedar, mahogany, and rosewood trees for use in carpentry, and mango, cashew, and Maya Nut trees for food. Each of these trees, in tropical growing conditions, fixes about 1 metric ton of carbon during its lifetime via photosynthesis (www.treeswaterpeople.org/carbon_calc.htm ). To be conservative, TWP will plant 5 trees to offset each metric ton of CO2 emitted.

So instead of a certificate from a for-profit carbon neutralization company, you may actually visit some of the projects that our carbon offset contributions support and know your travel choice is making a difference!