Tree planting

[thekitchendesigner]

After reading Gillies thread, it occured to me that i might be able to use something like

"for every kitchen ordered, we'll pay for x trees to be planted" as part of our green options.

I've also thought about recycling our packaging, recycling old kitchens (very hard to find anyone tho!), re-using waste and rain water, and the showroom will have a lanscaped garden with trees & plants etc and using diesel cars for transport.

I quite like the idea of the tree planting, but:

a) who would we use to plant the trees or pay to do so?

b) how much does it cost for us to plant a tree?

c) does this sound like a worthwhile idea?

Mark :)

[An Oasis]

We get approached about this frequently... yawn. Big corps are the worst here's a typical phone conversation.

them "We want to plant 10,000 trees as part of our carbon offsetting programme. Gives us your lowest price for doing it..."
me "Why? What do you hope to achieve, apart from hitting quotas?"
them "Huh? It's part of our carbon offsetting programme..."
me "Yes I'm not stupid but what do you hope to achieve? If price is paramount then we may struggle to supply native trees, blar, blar, blar..."
them "Yes but we need the lowest quote possible..."
me "**** ***"

Your best way forward is to be proactive with your local community, think about approaching the following:

local authorities
schools
voluntary groups
charities
business parks... ...very often your local authority is the best bet.

Why not think about getting involved in creating a community woodland, screening off some industrial wilderness... anything that your local community can benefit from, it makes sense for your business, it makes sense for your local community and you will benefit from it long term.

[Steve Cool]

Someone calculated that the new breed of ozone friendly and non green house effect causing refrigerant gasses are more harmful to the environment due to them being a blend of 2 or 3 different gasses(zeotropic). Each causing more carbon emissions due to there being 2/3 manufacturing processes, then another to blend them.
The old (isotropic) one gas refrigerants only had one manufacturing process. Therfore a third or a quater of the carbon emissions.
Further more, now we have to reclaim the old "dangerous" gasses in end of life equipment so as to not release them into the atmosphere. Once reclaimed it gets incinerated, yet more carbon emissions.

Green Environmentaly Friendly = Money Making Scam

I'm sure all other industries have their tales to tell, but this grates on me every day. There is too much BS and ignorance around. The tories say they want to replace all electric air conditioning by 2010????? and replace it with what?????

Steve

Steve

[Dawg]

I'd be careful that you aren't seen as jumping on the green bandwagon. This subject has come up before, (someone wanted to claim he produced green websites for night clubs on his carbon neutral surfboard if I recall correctly), whereas he just seemed to want a green feelgood badge to show off. And it showed. Looked foolish.
Whilst I don't for a second doubt your good intentions, nor necessarily feel the world is not worth saving, this idea has been abused, and people are cynical about it.
Planting trees especially might not be the best way to approach greening your company image, see here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/dec/15/ethicalliving.lifeandhealth).

[An Oasis]

Ah Dawg so many agendas on the go whom must we believe?

[RayB]

them "Yes but we need the lowest quote possible..."
me "**** ***"

Simply advise them to fly several thousand miles to the amazonian rain forest to source cheaper trees, chop them down, and fly them back.

That should sort out all the big boys for their carbon neutral stats

[Rhyl Lightworks]

I am very suspicious of tree planting in order to reduce global warming - see Dawg's link - and I have seen the same opinions elsewhere. Trees in temperate regions may improve the appearance of the environment, but whether they have other effect is highly questionable.
Barrie

[Sally@CC]

Reforesting Scotland... its a charity that has the aim to restore large parts of the highlands to native pine woods

[An Oasis]

Reforesting Scotland... its a charity that has the aim to restore large parts of the highlands to native pine woods

Which is the better approach to take.

Not only do you return a natural species back to it's old environment but TADA by reforesting land that used to be forest you also prevent things like flash floods, erosion, wind scorch... ...nature did it in the first place and people think they are being clever!?

[thekitchendesigner]

Have to admit i never knew it was seen as a negative! Glad i was made aware to be honest. My intentions weren't to be seen as jumping on the bandwagon for sure.

I've designed the showroom from scratch to be different so want to follow that on by doing things differently when its up and running, things you wouldnt expect a kitchen company to do.

Richard - perhaps your initial suggestions may be best, any ideas on how i could guage whats best to do?

[An Oasis]

...Richard - perhaps your initial suggestions may be best, any ideas on how i could guage whats best to do?

Sorry I did not mean it's a negative thing to do, it is just that to do it you need to spend time thinking about how and where to do it.

Personally I would seek out the person responsible for aspects like school liaison @ your local authority. Phone them and tell them what you propose to do, then draft a letter so they have the details on file. Or B2B clubs and use it to network at the same time.

Create a page on your website so that you can track what has been planted and where... ...that's your win!

Key aspects to consider:

Tree types - use native species where and whenever possible
Aspect of the tree - make sure that the tree is appropriate for the space it is going to be located in
Purpose of the tree - if it is to be used for screening then an evergreen should be used. There are no native evergreen trees to the UK so you are looking at using Ilex (Holly) or Fagus sylvatica (Beech) which whilst decidious will hold leaf
Can the tree be used as part of a project - E.G. nature, birdcam (the feathered type;))
Does a school need security - use hawthorn for a hedging boundary (assuming the little people will not be allowed near)... ...will also help to encourage nature/wildlife

I'm sure you get the picture!


A useful website http://www.british-trees.com/index.htm

[thekitchendesigner]

Thanks Richard, handy points to bare in mind.

Do you think tree planting is an appropriate thing to do locally with places like schools etc, or would something else be more beneficial to them?

Just been on your site, shame your not closer, i'm struggling to find someone reliable to do our landscaped garden in front of the showroom!!

[An Oasis]

...Do you think tree planting is an appropriate thing to do locally with places like schools etc, or would something else be more beneficial to them?

I think that you find each has differing requirements.

The other thing which springs to mind and has lasting benefit is creating a community woodland, again something that has lasting benefit for your community and will have a spin off for your company. You will want to partner up on a proposed woodland due to all the red tape involved.

Another idea is to talk to your local authority about community projects that they are involved in which you might want to become a partner to.

...Just been on your site, shame your not closer, i'm struggling to find someone reliable to do our landscaped garden in front of the showroom!!

LOL tis a bit of a distance, you are more than welcome to call to chat the project through.

[awebapart.com]

I'd be careful that you aren't seen as jumping on the green bandwagon.
Unfortunately jumping on the latest good cause bandwagon is a common theme, especially with big businesses who often do it just to pay lip service to the cause, or to promote sales, or to detract from something else they are doing which is bad, or they just do it without researching or thinking it through (or they are being advised by someone who hasn't thought it through). Whether it is planting trees, or green or ethical hosting (http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=49273&page=3#post362462), or other good causes like tackling the national obesity problem, there will always be bandwagons to jump on.

I'm sure all other industries have their tales to tell, but this grates on me every day. There is too much BS and ignorance around.
One of my my bug bears is with the obesity issue and food manufacturers and retailers, especially when they use healthy sports personalities to endorse unhealthy products, mainly to children. For instance with Gary Lineker and Walkers crisps (http://walkers.corpex.com/cr15p5/trade06/pr2.asp?channel=&docid=57) twisting stats, proudly saying their crisps have 80% less saturated fat (http://walkers.corpex.com/cr15p5/trade06/pr2.asp?channel=&docid=57) making people think that overall the fat content (and main calories) is down 80% whereas the overall fat content (saturated and unsaturated) and calories is the same, some may say that these antics are just down to greed (http://www.foodcomm.org.uk/parentsjury/greedy_star2.htm). Likewise you also get the retailer food stats emphasising low sodium making people think it is low salt, whereas sodium is only 40% of salt (Sodium Chloride).

Rant over.

[Dawg]

I'm not sure everyone agrees Paul, as greenbandwagon.com (http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/environment/most-willing-to-lie-about-green-lifestyle-changes-20071107522/) is taken, but garylinekergit.com (http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/health/fat-people-more-dangerous-than-atomic-bomb-20071015466/) is not...