A local effort to sound the alarm over environmental desecration was a deemed a success after reaching over 100 people and raised hundreds of dollars.
Members of Ethical Expeditions screened The Burning Season at Quest University Thursday, Nov. 26, and a great turnout meant a better-informed community and nearly one-third of the expedition’s carbon footprint could be offset, according to organizers Brent Loken and Sheryl Gruber.
“We were humbled by the turnout which was estimated to be approximately 150 people,” stated the duo in a follow up email interview. “It is further evidence that Squamish residents are interested in learning more about global issues and what they can do to help.”
For an environment grappling with the effects of climate change, the $400 raised meant that 30,236 kilograms of carbon dioxide will theoretically be sequestered – or prevented from entering and/or captured from the atmosphere by trees.
During a question-and-answer period, Squamish residents were proven to be both informed and curious about the technical side of carbon offsets – increasingly touted for their climate change-mitigating value and relative affordability.
The Burning Season followed Australian Dorjee Sun, CEO of Carbon Conservation, as he sought to help create and market the Indonesian rainforest as a “carbon sink” that could be preserved through offsetting.
However, offsets have been alternately criticized for being unpractical, difficult to quantify or verify and avoiding the critical issue of emission reductions.
Loken and Gruber, who have visited three other occasions, explained their interests in both Borneo and carbon offsets.
“At this point in time, slowing down tropical rainforest destruction is one of the most important tasks humanity needs to tackle,” they wrote. “Tropical rainforest destruction accounts for 20 per cent of annual greenhouse gas emissions. Past efforts to halt this destruction have not been successful since rainforests are currently worth more [cut down] than standing.
“There is something magical and peaceful about the rainforest. After experiencing this magic, it becomes obvious why these ecosystems must be preserved for future generations not only because of their importance for storing carbon but more importantly for the incredible biodiversity they are home to.”
Following the film the pair introduced the 18 Quest students that will accompany them to Borneo.
Though the Quest team leaves in January to conduct research that will touch on a wide variety of environmental, social and economic implications of palm oil in Indonesia (which is found in about 10 per cent of supermarket products), their work is not quite finished in Squamish.
Some of the participating Quest students will be presenting to Garibaldi Highlands Elementary students this week, and upon their return to Squamish there will be a mini-documentary film festival in which the students – all of whom hail from Canada or the United States – will be able to showcase the projects they will shoot and produce in Indonesia.
Interested parties can follow Ethical Expeditions and the students live from Indonesia as they report via blogs and video blogs at www.ethicalexpeditions.ning.com.
