A couple of posts ago, I introduced the concept of the LOTOJA Green Team and the challenge most ultra-distance sporting events face — what to do about the tremendous CO2 emissions associated with transporting participants and their support crews from point A to B and back again.

Through the registration process, LOTOJA participants were given the chance to purchase a range of carbon offsets for the event — from a Prius ($1.50) to a Hummer ($3.50).

Here’s the good news: 340 riders contributed generously to the Green Team initiative, enabling us to offset about 115 metric tonnes of CO2, or about 1/2 of the CO2 emissions associated with participant vehicles on race weekend. These contributions will directly support the development of three Certified Emission Reduction (CER) projects in Utah and Idaho:  the Granger South Jordan Landfill Gas Destruction Project in West Jordan City; and Intrepid Technology Resources’ Anaerobic Digesters at the Westpoint Dairy in Wendell and at the Whitesides Dairy Farm in Rupert. CERs will be purchased from EcoSecurities, a global leader in the business of sourcing, developing and trading emission reduction credits.