April 2008 - Issue 2-2 of TreeSmart News
Issue 2.2 of TreeSmart News was released in April 2008. This bi-monthly 4-page newsletter is being sent to all TreeSmart subscribers and agroforestors, and to media outlets, to keep them informed of issues in carbon trading and developments at TreeSmart. Issue 2-2 contains articles on the Garnaut Review, the Carbon Offset Factory, the development of the SharpCAM modelling package, and TreeSmart's offsetting of emissions from flights made by the Hawthorn Football Club when they play home games in Launceston.
April 2008 - TreeSmart offsets Hawthorn F.C. travel again in 2008
Following on from 2007, TreeSmart will again offset air travel emissions for the Hawthorn Football Club when they play home games in Launceston, Tasmania. Click here for more details.
April 2008 - Garnaut Issues Paper 5 Submission
TreeSmart has made a submission arising from the Garnaut Review Issues Paper 5 on Transport, Land-Use and the Built Environment. A copy of this submission is available here.
1 April 2008 - TreeSmart launches Transpirational Regenerative Emissions Extractor
TreeSmart has launched the Transpirational Regenerative Emissions Extractor. See here for more details.
February 2008 - Issue 2-1 of TreeSmart News
The second issue of TreeSmart News was released in February 2008. This bi-monthly 4-page newsletter is being sent to all TreeSmart subscribers and agroforestors, and to media outlets, to keep them informed of issues in carbon trading and developments at TreeSmart. Issue 2-1 contains articles on the ACCC enquiry into Carbon Offset Claims, the Garnaut Review, transport emissions, the measurement of plantation sequestration and TreeSmart's offsetting of emissions from the Alexandra Timber Tramway.
February 2008 - Trees Midwest Acacia Saligna Project
TreeSmart made a presentation to a workshop held by Trees Midwest in Badgingarra, 200km of Perth. The workshop was attended by local farmers who have been invited by Trees Midwest to participate in a project supported by the National Landcare Program which aims to establish 3500 hectares of Acacia Saligna plantations over 5 years, to sequester carbon and to provide feedstock for a particleboard manufacturing plant to be established in the region.
February 2008 - Garnaut Review Forum on Transport Issues
TreeSmart attended the Garnaut Review Forum 5 on Transport and Landuse Issues held in Perth on February 19. Copies of the presentations to the Forum are obtainable from the Garnaut Review website.
February 2008 - TreeSmart submission to ACCC Enquiry into Carbon Offset Claims
TreeSmart made a submission in response to an Issues Paper on Carbon Offset Claims released by the ACCC. The submission may be downloaded here.
February 2008 - Invitation to join A3P Project Steering Committee
TreeSmart has been invited to join the Steering Committee for a DAFF-funded project being undertaken by A3P to develop a Forestry and Climate Change Action Plan.
February 2008 - Presentation to NRMA Policy Advisory Committee
Following the recent release of a greenhouse policy by the Australian Automobile Association, TreeSmart was invited to make a presentation on greenhouse and offsetting issues to the Policy Advisory Committee of the NRMA in Sydney.
January 2008 - TreeSmart submission to Garnaut Review on Issues Paper 1
TreeSmart made a submission in response to Issues Paper 1 on Agriculture and Forestry released by the Garnaut Review. The submission may be downloaded here.
January 2008 - A3P Workshop on Forestry Offsets
TreeSmart attended a workshop organised by A3P on the role of Forestry Offsets in the forthcoming Australian Emissions Trading Scheme. The workshop featured presentations on various aspects of forestry offsets, including additionality, permanence, and the role of Harvested Wood Products. Copies of the presentations are available from the A3P website.
December 2007 - Issue 1-1 of TreeSmart News
The first issue of TreeSmart News was released in December 2007. This bi-monthly 4-page newsletter is being sent to all TreeSmart subscribers and agroforestors, and to media outlets, to keep them informed of issues in carbon trading and developments at TreeSmart. Issue 1-1 contains articles on the proposed Australian Emissions Trading Scheme, the MAORI Model, descriptions of typical farm forestry plantations, and an example of corporate offsetting with I-view Pty Ltd.
December 2007 - TreeSmart Presentations for 2007
Once again, 2007 was a busy year for TreeSmart in making presentations around the country to a range of audiences, including:
- Australian Institute of Traffic Planning & Management, Melbourne, February 07
- South-East NSW Private Forestry, Bega, May 2007
- South-East NSW Private Forestry, Bombala, May 2007
- Timber Towns Committee, Melbourne, May 2007
- Murrindindi Climate Network, Yea, June 2007
- Central Highlands Agribusiness Forum, Ballarat, July 2007
- Department of Primary Industries Carbon Workshop 1, Melbourne, July 2007
- Integrated Weed Management Workshop, Bathurst, August 2007
- Australasian Transport Research Forum, Melbourne, September 2007
- A3P Seminar, Sydney, October 2007
- Australian Institute of Traffic Planning & Management, Canberra, October 07
- Victorian Landcare network, Mt. Buller, November 2007
- Department of Primary Industries Carbon Workshop 2, Melbourne, Nov 2007
- Bioenergy Australia 2007 Conference, Gold Coast, December 2007
December 2007 - I-view Pty Ltd again offsets emissions for field staff travel
Following their effort in 2006, when I-view Pty Ltd (a major social research company in Australia) offset over half a million kilometres of vehicle travel undertaken by their field staff while conducting survey research in the field, I-view have backed up with more offsetting for 2007. This time they have offset a million kilometres of field staff vehicular travel, plus over half a million kilometres of domestic and international air travel by senior management.
November 2007 - Radio National Bush Telegraph Interview
Tony Richardson was interviewed by Michael McKenzie of Radio National's Bush Telegraph program, to discuss the issues of living and working in regional Australia. A substantial proportion of the interview was devoted to exploring the TreeSmart program, and the way in which living in a regional area had helped in the development of the program.
August 2007 - Ovens & King Community Health Service offsets fleet emissions
The Ovens & King Community Health Service in North-East Victoria has offset their fleet of vehicles for 2007.
June 2007 - Department of Infrastructure offsets flight emissions
The Victorian Department of Infrastructure has offset all domestic and international flights made by the staff in 2006-07.
April 2007 - TreeSmart offsets emissions for Hawthorn Football Club flights to Tasmania
TreeSmart Australia is proud to be sponsoring the offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions created by travel associated with the Hawthorn Football Club in 2007. This sponsorship arrangement covers all flights by HFC players and support staff for the five home games to be played in Launceston in 2007. In addition, they will offset the travel undertaken by all supporters attending the home game at the MCG against the Sydney Swans on June 9 in the week of World Environment Day.
February 2007 - TreeSmart proposes "Victoria - the Carbon-Neutral-Travel State"
On 6 February, TreeSmart Australia released a far-reaching proposal to make Victoria the world's-first "Carbon Neutral Travel State". In a presentation to the Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management, Dr. Tony Richardson outlined a program to offset the emissions from the entire Victorian vehicle fleet, which generates about 15% of the state's greenhouse emissions. The program, estimated to cost $250 million per year, could be funded either through a Compulsory Environmental Insurance (similar to Compulsory Third Party Insurance) of about $65/vehicle/year, a vehicle usage surcharge of 0.5 cents/kilometre, or a fuel usage surcharge of about 3 cents/litre.
January 2007 - TreeSmart appointed to State Government Carbon Offset Panel
On 8 January, TreeSmart Australia was appointed as one of six organisations to offset the emissions from the Victorian State Government Vehicle Fleet. This program, which runs over two years, aims to offset the 80,000 tonnes of CO2 emitted from the state government fleet of 6000 vehicles over that period.
December 2006 - I-view Pty Ltd offsets emissions for field staff travel
I-view Pty Ltd (a major social research company in Australia) has offset all the vehicle travel undertaken by their field staff while conducting survey research in the field during 2006. This covered a total of more than half a million kilometres in 2006.
December 2006 - Conference of Australian Institutes of Transport Research 2006 - another TreeSmart travel carbon neutral conference
The annual Conference of Australian Institutes of Transport Research held in Sydney in December 2006 was travel carbon neutral, courtesy of a sponsorship by TreeSmart Australia.
November 2006 - TreeSmart online air subscriptions up and running.
The online subscription facility for air subscriptions was launched on the TreeSmart website on 24 November 2006.
November 2006 - Walk against Warming
TreeSmart Australia directors, Tony Richardson and Rita Seethaler, participated in the Walk against Warming held in Melbourne on November 4. TreeSmart also provided four TreeSmart car subscriptions to be given away as competition prizes for the Walk against Warming held in Canberra.
November 2006 - TreeSmart online car subscriptions up and running.
The online subscription facility for car subscriptions was launched on the TreeSmart website on 3 November 2006.
August 2006 - Australian Forest Growers Conference - the first TreeSmart travel carbon neutral conference
The first conference to sign up to have travel of delegates to and from their conference made carbon neutral by TreeSmart was the Australian Forest Growers International Conference held in Launceston in October 2006. The travel of all delegates to and from the conference was made carbon neutral by having TreeSmart plant sufficient trees to offset the carbon dioxide emissions from the travel. Over half a million kilometres of travel were involved in getting delegates to and from the conference, emitting 220 tonnes of CO2-e. To offset this, TreeSmart has allocated 11.1 hectares of trees in TreeSmart plantations for 2007.
September 2006 - Australasian Transport Research Forum - the next TreeSmart travel carbon neutral conference
To balance the ledger between forestry and transport, the next conference to have travel of delegates to and from their conference made carbon neutral by TreeSmart was the Australasian Transport Research Forum to be held in Queensland in September 2006. The travel of all delegates to and from the conference will be made carbon neutral by having TreeSmart plant sufficient trees to offset the carbon dioxide emissions from the travel.
September 2006 - National TravelSmart Congress 2006 - a TreeSmart travel carbon neutral conference
In a very appropriate circle-closing event, the national TravelSmart Congress 2006 being held in Melbourne in September was the first conference to be held where the travel of delegates to and from the conference will be made carbon neutral by TreeSmart. It is most appropriate that the TravelSmart conference was "TreeSmarted", since it was the work of the TreeSmart Directors as transport consultants in the field of TravelSmart that gave rise to the initial concepts behind TreeSmart, and which contributed to half the TreeSmart name.
August 2006 - First Fleet TreeSmart Subscription
In an appropriate double-act, the first official TreeSmart fleet subscription was taken out by the Shire of Murindindi, when they signed up four fleet vehicles for TreeSmart subscriptions.
August 2006 - First Individual TreeSmart Subscription
The first official TreeSmart individual subscription has been taken out by Cr. Lyn Gunter, Mayor of the Shire of Murindindi.
August 2006 - TreeSmart Launch
June 2006 - TreeSmart online Tree Registrations up and running.
The online Tree Registration facility for agroforesters was launched on the TreeSmart website on in June 2006. Tree farmers can register their interest in registering their trees for the TreeSmart program on this site, and this will lead to drawing up of contacts for them to be paid for the carbon sequestered in their trees.
January 2006 - TreeSmart founded.
TreeSmart Australia was registered as a company, with the objective of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector, by means of encouraging and funding the planting and managing of eucalyptus plantations destined for eventual harvesting and replanting.