Carbon Calculation 101

Shyla Raghav For 30 years Conservation International (CI) has worked to protect nature for the benefits it provides to all of us: food, fresh water, livelihoods and a stable climate. They know that people need nature to survive and work relentlessly to build a healthier, more prosperous and productive planet. They know that by protecting nature, we are saving ourselves. And they do all this through science, policy and partnerships with countries, communities and companies. Recently, CI launched a new carbon calculator – it’s the first one on the market that allows users to calculate their carbon footprint and gives them the opportunity to directly offset that footprint. The calculator is the brainchild of Shyla Raghav – CI’s head of climate change – who wanted to help develop a tool that put more power in consumers’ hands. Shyla is one of the youngest females (and of the few minority women) to lead global climate discussions at the UN and during the Paris Agreement. With the U.S. pulling out of the Paris agreement and the administration’s clampdown on environmental protections, it’s more important than ever before that we are informed of what our footprint is and to understand the ways to make a positive impact.

INSIGHTS

Shyla has been a part of Conservation International (CI) for about 5 years and was heavily involved in policy. As she was developing the policies for the Paris Agreement, she came to understand that at least a 1/3 of what we need to do about climate change comes from nature. Stopping deforestation and restoring ecosystems is essential to the fight against climate change. In other words, 30% of what needs to be done about climate comes from addressing the issues facing nature.
Shyla’s “why” for individuals to get engaged in the fight against climate change is to embrace that this is not an issue we can count on our governments to address – this really is something for each of us to solve for our own well being and fate of our future.
Do you enjoy your morning coffee? Shyla provides insight into the impact climate is having on coffee production during this podcast.
How will climate change impact you – your lifestyle and your wallet? Shyla provides an illustration of the impacts that we are currently seeing and will only continue to see – a lot of connection and ripple effects of climate change are being felt around the world. Listen to this podcast to understand what we know and what we need to do about it.
Shyla shared her impressions of the decision made by President Trump to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement – and the hope and action that has risen and taken hold with the establishment of the We Are Still In
Shyla finds during her international travel that the debate is not whether or not climate change exists…but rather what needs to be done about preventing climate change and addressing it’s impact.
Carbon Dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for about 100 years – so the warming we are seeing today is accumulative for the last 100 years. Listen to this podcast to learn what that means for today and for tomorrow.
CI wanted to give individuals the understanding of how their daily actions were creating an impact on the planet, as well as various components of overall lifestyle (travel, diet, life events for example) – the Carbon Calculator was born.
If we have any hope of preserving our planet, we need to stop deforestation and save ecosystems – the carbon calculator allows you to determine your footprint, as associated with carbon emissions, and then gives you the direct opportunity to offset that impact.
What model does CI use (that has demonstrated great success to offset carbon emissions) in the work that they do? Shyla lays out the strategy and how you can get involved!
Fight like your life depends on it – because it does.