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Frontier weighs plan to 'offset' pollution

Chris Walsh, Rocky Mountain News

Published June 2, 2007 at midnight

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Cutting your carbon dioxide output on a daily basis is relatively easy.

Ditch the SUV and buy a hybrid car. Take the bus to work. Walk to the nearby convenience store.

But what's an environmentally conscious jet-setter to do?

Denver-based Frontier Airlines is looking to offer passengers the opportunity to neutralize the environmental effects of fuel-guzzling flights.

The airline is talking with Boulder- based Sustainable Travel International about a possible partnership that would let Frontier customers purchase carbon offsets, which can run anywhere from a few dollars to more than $30 for a round-trip domestic flight.

Sustainable Travel, a nonprofit organization, would then funnel the money to renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects.

"We are looking very closely at this, and we hope to offer something soon," Frontier spokesman Joe Hodas said. "We're trying to find the best way to make it a meaningful relationship and -really make it a part of the consciousness of our customers."

Frontier is the second-largest airline at Denver International Airport, where it captures more than 20 percent of the market.

Hodas said the company is exploring several options for carbon offsets so he can't provide details.

But Sustainable Travel announced a partnership this week in which Continental Airlines customers will be able to calculate the carbon "footprint" of their flights and then purchase offsets. The option will be available through Continental's Web site later this year.

Sustainable Travel will invest the money it collects from Continental passengers in a variety of projects around the world that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost the use of renewable energy.

One project, for instance, involves switching out older stoves in Cambodia with more fuel-efficient ones. The new stoves burn less fuel and help avoid deforestation, said Peter Krahenbuhl, vice president and a co-founder of Sustainable Travel. Other projects involve everything from boosting wind power to replacing light bulbs with more energy-efficient models.

"The bottom line is that these projects wouldn't exist or continue without your investment," Krahenbuhl said. "We all travel and we all have to fly. This is a way to neutralize the impact of your flight by supporting a project that's going to eliminate (or reduce) the need to emit somewhere else."

The organization has developed a calculator that determines a consumers' share of the total carbon dioxide emitted on a particular flight. It then calculates how much it will cost the passenger to offset those emissions. It guarantees that at least 85 percent of the donations go directly to projects. The rest covers overhead.

Aside from offering carbon offsets for various industries, Sustainable Travel provides education and outreach services for travelers and the travel industry.

Some observers question whether budget-conscious consumers will fork over more money for offsets after spending hundreds of dollars on airline tickets.

"I just know the average Tom, Dick and Harry . . . would probably not be participating in this program," said Tom Parsons, who runs travel site -Bestfares.com in Texas. "Consumers get upset when they see airfares go up $10. And with the cost of fuel rising, we're already watching our budgets and cutting back."What's your share of carbon emissions?

• One passenger on a round-trip flight between Denver and New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport: 1.2 tons of carbon dioxide. Offset price*: $18.61.

• Four passengers on a round-trip flight to Las Vegas: 1.7 tons of carbon dioxide. Offset price for all passengers: $26.03

• Two passengers on a round-trip flight to London's Heathrow Airport: 6.9 tons of carbon dioxide. Offset price for both passengers: $104.76

*Reflects Wholesale Offset Price. Can Be Lower If Companies Partner With Carbon Offset Organizations. Source: Sustainabletravelinternational.Org

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