As strong environmental advocates, we realize the incongruity of working on internal combustion vehicles. Transportation is the second leading source of greenhouse gasses (26% vs. 30% from electrical production) and the sooner we can move to electric vehicles the better off we’ll all be. Until then, about the best you can do is maintain your vehicle to minimize its carbon emissions is. Or is it? What if there was a way to make the net emissions from your vehicle zero? And what if there were a way to save money…maybe hundreds of dollars… while you did it? Interested? Read on…
Everyone (well, almost everyone) wants to reduce their contribution to greenhouse gasses, which trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. In 2007 we started a program that allows our clients to offset the carbon output of their vehicles and save money at the same time. As of 2016, the members of the Tom Dwyer Automotive Carbon Neutral Program (CNP) have been responsible for removing an amazing 1.69 million pounds of carbon from our air. Not bad, especially when you consider that each one of these members was saving 10% on all their labor costs here at the shop!
We make it as easy as possible for you to be part of this success as well. Here’s the deal…
What You Get…
Your ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP is applied to the vehicle of your choice, and includes…
- Offsets to cover your vehicle’s carbon output
- 10% OFF labor costs at Tom Dwyer Automotive
- Really cool window cling sticker
What It Costs…
Cost varies by vehicle type and the number of offsets you need.
- Sippers (Hybrids) cost $30
- Drinkers (Most cars) cost $50
- Guzzlers (SUV’s or large vehicles) cost $90.
How To Join…
Just give us a call at 503-230-2300, or talk with your Service Advisor the next time you’re in. We’ll handle all the details of getting you hooked up with Bonneville Environmental, and on the road to carbon-free driving.
What Are Carbon Offsets?
Carbon Offsets don’t actually affect the emissions of your vehicle at all. They fund other projects that reduce overall carbon emissions, which hopefully creates a “net-zero” emission. Here’s some more information from Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) on how they work…
Carbon Offsets (also called Carbon Credits) are generated by discrete carbon reduction projects. One Carbon Offset represents the reduction of 1 metric ton (or 2,205 pounds) of greenhouse gas emissions that occur as a result of that specific project. On top of their direct environmental benefit, some Carbon Offset projects carry additional certification to provide measurable social benefits as well.
1 carbon offset = 1 metric ton of CO2e kept from the atmosphere
Verification Standards– Each Carbon Offset generated is third-party verified to prove that real, permanent, verifiable, additional and enforceable emissions reductions have occurred.
What’s The Science Behind Climate Change?
We started our Carbon Neutral Program because we think the science behind global climate change is unambiguous and inarguable, and that the time for taking action is long past. However, we’re an auto repair shop… our opinion probably isn’t very authoritative on this subject. But as part of our sponsorship of 350.org’s 2011 event to raise awareness of climate change, we wrote an article called “Science and History of Climate Change- Learn the science without the hype… from either side”. We linked to sources on the history of the issue, reviews of the science, sources critical of the science, and rebuttals of their points. As much as possible, we tried to create a one-page global warming “truth from fact” resource. Whether you’re a tree-hugger who doesn’t need convincing, or you’re a climate-change-denier thinking “But what about this…”, this is the page to get real knowledge on a subject that’s threatening humanity. Probably a good use of time.
