Cedar Croft Nurseries

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At Cedar Croft Nurseries we are passionate about the environment and its protection. We are now starting to monitor our carbon output and are now actively reducing our carbon footprint. In 2010 we will undertake a carbon audit to establish our carbon output.

As christmas tree growers this activity directly reduces our carbon footprint.. This year, for every tree cut down 3 new trees will be planted in their place. We have also started using an organic growing medium that is produced less than a mile away. This growing medium is carbon rich and substantially contributes to the carbon bank in the soil. Many new and exciting carbon offsetting ideas will be investigated for future development because we are dedicated to investing in our environment.

Some more information about Carbon and offsetting our footprint

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the major greenhouse gas that results from human activities and is responsible for global warming and climate change. The concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere are increasing at an accelerating rate from decade to decade due to the burning of the fossil fuels in our day-to-day life. Each of our everyday actions consumes energy and produces carbon dioxide emissions e.g. taking holiday flights, driving our cars, working with computers, heating or cooling our homes and offices etc.

Fossil fuels like crude oil, coal and natural gas, being made up of hydrocarbons release carbon dioxide when burned. The carbon dioxide which is released to the atmosphere remains there for 100 to 200 years. This leads to an increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, which in turn causes the average temperature on Earth to rise. Studies show that climate change that takes place due to increases in carbon dioxide concentration is largely irreversible for 1,000 years even after emissions stop.

Carbon footprint is the term that we use to define our environmental impact in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that we release into the atmosphere. We leave our carbon footprints both directly and indirectly, and the total of our environmental impact is the sum of all these contributions. The main contributors to our carbon footprint are: household electricity and heat, transport, food and clothing. All of these can be translated into a number of tonnes of CO2 per annum released into the atmosphere. All the goods that we consume are either transported in freight vehicles, shipped around the world in containers, or both. This also contributes to our carbon footprint.

Carbon offsets help us to take personal responsibility for the environmental consequences of our activities. Individuals as well as many businesses are now responding positively to climate change as they consider it a smart choice to ensure a better future for all of us.