blue moon fund

Climate change presents a challenge for responsible business leaders in the 21^st century. As the earth’s climate system continues to destabilize, organizations seek ways to offset the impact of their operations. A greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory is an invaluable tool for an organization to understand their contributions to global climate change. A carbon footprint – the sum of all emissions of greenhouse gases in a given time frame – is determined from this analysis and used to determine necessary offsets.

blue moon fund’s inventory is collected using methods described in The World Resources Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s (WRI/WBCSD) Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (March 4, 2004). Calculation methods are taken from The Climate Registry’s General Reporting Protocol and EPA Climate Leaders’ Greenhouse Gas Inventory Protocol. A thorough assessment considers the effects of all six Kyoto GHG – carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), sulfur hexalfluoride (SF₆), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

blue moon fund emissions sources include:

• Refrigerant leakage
• Purchased electricity
• Employee commuting, business travel, office paper consumption, shipping and office waste

The greatest proportion of emissions comes from blue moon’s business commuting, specifically airline travel, which accounts for about 64% of our total carbon footprint. Carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are bmf’s most significant contribution to climate change; today carbon dioxide makes up roughly 77% of global greenhouse emissions. Electricity consumption at blue moon’s office is the second largest factor in the footprint, contributing to about 17% of our total.

blue moon takes responsibility for our environmental impacts through utilization of green technologies. The blue moon fund headquarters are housed in a LEED® Gold certified building, a project that involved transforming a 1920s single-family home into an office with a number of sustainable design elements. The mechanical system uses variable refrigerant flow technology and allows multiple heat pump units to be connected to a single outdoor unit for zone control; the overall system is controlled by a central computer. The highest level of efficiency is achieved due to the variability of the system along with two energy recovery ventilators. Domestic hot water is provided by a tankless hot water heating system to prevent standby heat loss. Site lighting is controlled by photosensors that automatically turn off outdoor lights during the day.

Renovating an existing building allowed for use of the original structure and elements. Combining old with new, materials purchased included renewable bamboo flooring, sustainable beech and walnut from Southwest Virginia and heart pine wood salvaged from the floor of a factory. Wood used for the custom cabinets was obtained from Forest Stewardship Council certified vendors. A solar electrical system was installed behind the building, harnessing the earth’s most plentiful and clean resource. The panels are non-polluting, require minor maintenance and will last twenty to thirty years with minimal running costs. Additionally, the system allows blue moon to sell Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs).

Business travel for employees is accounted for in the purchase of carbon offsets. In 2009, blue moon agreed to pay the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) to retire 14,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide. The credits represent 5,006 acres of mixed mesophytic forestland in Central Appalachia and will continue to offset future travel for blue moon employees.

blue moon continues to support and implement sustainable practices within the office and out in the field. On a January 2011 staff retreat to Costa Rica, the bmf team planted trees to offset the carbon emissions from the associated air travel. These initiatives and actions enable blue moon to monitor their carbon footprint and demonstrate our commitment to sustainable practices.