Hi all,
I followed the recent thread on Twitchathons with interest, and my
intention here is not to start up the discussion again as most of the
points on both sides of the argument have already been made. I
refrained from posting at the time because I wanted to run an idea
past my team leader David Geering, who was away from contact over
Easter.
I've now done that and am able to say that this year, the Whacked-Out
Woodswallows will run a "carbon neutral race" by purchasing carbon
credits to offset our own travelling associated with the event, from
one of the organisations involved in genuine carbon-reducing projects
(not just sequestration). For a list of such organisations see:
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/What_You_Can_Do/carbon_neutral.asp
We're fully aware that this does not exempt us from all blame nor
eliminate the emissions from our own travelling during the event. But
I do hope it will go some way towards a satisfactory compromise. On
the one hand it's the extreme nature of the Twitch that grabs
people's attention and makes this such a successful fund-raising
event. It provides enjoyment for many more than just the actual
competitors. On the other hand it's that same resource-hungry nature
of the race which eats at our consciences and leaves us open to the
sort of criticism brought up in the recent discussion.
So this is only a small gesture but I hope it sets an example to
other teams, especially those like us who do what has been dubbed a
"double twitch" in order to be competitive and have a chance at the
main prize.
Hey, nobody's perfect, and this is a once-a-year event which raises a
substantial amount of funds for a good conservation cause. Let's all
do the best we can without abolishing our sense of fun.
cheers,
Carol Probets
Whacked-Out Woodswallow
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