Green Taxes and Carbon Offsetting

There can be little doubt that something is happening to our climate. In the UK, birds are nesting earlier and many aspects of animal behaviour point towards a warming of the climate. The finger of suspicion is currently pointed at a previously innocuous gas, carbon dioxide. It was not long ago that we were fitting catalytic converters to our cars in order to 'convert poisonous carbon monoxide to harmless carbon dioxide' . Without a doubt, air travel produces pollution and one of the outcomes of burning aviation fuel is carbon dioxide. Recently the Chancellor of the Exchequer increased tax on all flight tickets to include a Green Tax to help stop this pollution - so each time you travel, you are already paying towards mitigating your 'carbon footprint' .

However, at Ornitholidays we have taken this a step further. We are trying to alleviate even more of the gases we produce in our travels by using a natural soak for the gas - that is trees. Both plants and trees absorb carbon dioxide when they photosynthesize and fix the gas with water to make sugars and life-giving oxygen. We have teamed up with the staff at REGUA (Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu) in Brazil to plant a tree for everyone who travels with us each year. REGUA protects one of the last stands of tropical rainforest left in the severely depleted Atlantic Rainforest (Mata Atlantica) in Brazil. REGUA is a non-governmental association with a mission to save the forests of the upper catchment of the Guapiassu river basin located within the municipality of Cachoeiras de Macacu in Rio de Janeiro State. The majority of the initial funding and direction for the project came from the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust (BART), a UK-based charity. In 1996, however, the REGUA Association was registered under Brazilian law and is now responsible for the management and development of the project. Although BART maintains a close involvement in its management and funding, the Association is now made up of local landowners and members of the local community. Please look at the website at www.regua.co.uk

Scientists estimate that, depending on the soil and climate, a hectare of 1,000 trees can process between five and 10 tons of carbon dioxide each year. The removal of unwanted carbon dioxide is but one benefit of this tree planting. A second is the reforestation of some of the lost tropical forests of this part of south-east Brazil. This Atlantic Forest system has suffered from large-scale logging and the result has been the loss of many birds, plants, mammals and insects species from complex ecosystems. We aim to help with the re-planting of many species of indigenous hardwood to try and make good some of this loss.

We are also offering an additional voluntary contribution to be made when paying the deposit for your tour. A space has been left on the booking form for this. We pledge that 100% of the money you donate will go towards the replanting programme. Many schemes adopted by other companies have no regulation and a large chunk (often over 30%) of the donated money is taken to meet running costs. This will NOT be the case with our exciting REGUA project.

A big thank you to all who have made extra contributions so far we have planted over 1,000 trees and continue to add more each year.  For 2010 we have also included two tours to REGUA so we can visit our plantation while we are there.

Click here to download our information sheet and photos