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Seattle Academy Carbon Sequestration Project

Seattle Academy Carbon Sequestration Project. Alex Brewer Kyle Shurtleff. Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences. June 2010. Seattle Academy Carbon Footprint (2008-2009 school year). Carbon Footprint Data. Primary Goals. To become a carbon neutral institution;

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Seattle Academy Carbon Sequestration Project

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  1. Seattle AcademyCarbon Sequestration Project Alex Brewer Kyle Shurtleff Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences June 2010

  2. Seattle AcademyCarbon Footprint (2008-2009 school year)

  3. Carbon Footprint Data

  4. Primary Goals • To become a carbon neutral institution; • To create non-tuition derived cash flow; • To prove that carbon neutrality is an economic reality for Seattle Academy; • To investigate if carbon neutrality could be an economic reality for a broad range of urban, suburban, and rural schools.

  5. Team • Students, from the class of 2010 forward; • Currently Alex Brewer and Kyle Shurtleff. Preliminary work by Page Ive, Andy Healey and the Environmental Studies class. • Lead Advisor Dexter Chapin • Faculty, Administration and Board of Directors. • The broader Seattle Academy community of parents and supporters.

  6. Stipulated Assumptions • Anthropogenic carbon dioxide, as well as other anthropogenic greenhouse gases, are engendering climate change; • There is a demand and a market for individual and corporate amelioration; • This project combines education, service, non-tuition income, and amelioration.

  7. Organizational Context • Seattle Academy has the conditions socially and environmentally to simultaneously educate and ameliorate climate change. • Internally, the culture of performance; • Externally, an educated, environmentally, socially, and economically committed and supportive community; • Legally, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization who can act as a conservation easement trustee, meeting the requirements of 509(a)(2).

  8. Business Summary • Seattle Academy initially offsets its total organizational carbon emissions. • Sustainable forestry practices and sales of carbon credits begin to generate institutional income from year 6 onward. • Sustainable harvesting of hybrid poplar and long-rotation selective harvesting of conifers and broadleaf trees. • Monitoring and sale of ex-post carbon credits. • Sequester carbon in a mixed forest on a clear-cut, purpose donated or leased/loaned, parcel of approximately 60 hectares in the Cascade foothills.

  9. SAAS Advantages • As far as we know, no other school in the country is doing this • Broad interest and support among administration, faculty, and students • School’s entrepreneurial culture

  10. Sequestration Projections

  11. Sequestration Projections

  12. Sequestration Projections

  13. Sequestration Projections • Land Required to Immediately Offset SAAS Emission • 100% Conifer – 385 hectares • 50:50 Conifer/Broadleaf split – 280 hectares • 100% Broadleaf – 225 hectares • 100% Hybrid Poplar – 23.4 hectares

  14. Credit Value Projections

  15. Sustainable Forestry • FSC Certification • Long-term Forest Management Plans • Direct Sales / Local Marketing

  16. Process and Goals 1st year: • Locate and negotiate use of land • Topography dependent planning • With input from UW and WADNR • Reserve and procure seedlings from Webster Forest Nursery (WADNR) • Seasonal planting • Conifers and broadleaf trees at approximately 380 units per hectare • Hybrid poplar at approximately 1700 units per hectare

  17. Process and Goals 2nd to 6thyears: • Additional planting • Selective cutting for carbon analysis. 6th year: • Begin hybrid poplar harvesting. • Additional planting • Selective cutting carbon analysis

  18. Process and Goals 6th year onward: • Maintain optimal planting density • Continue poplar harvesting with an aggressive 6 year rotation • Begin selling carbon credits in year 15 • Begin conifer/broadleaf harvesting with a sustainable 40-50 year rotation.

  19. Financials 1st year: • Costs: • Travel to meetings and activities between Olympia and Monroe; unknown • Direct costs of involved faculty; unknown • Seedlings for pilot planting/5 hectares; est. $1,000 • Planting tool sets/12 sets; est. $800 • General overhead and expenses; est. $2,500 • Income: none • Goodwill: “It’s such a SAAS thing to do.”

  20. Financials 2nd year: • Costs: • Travel to activities in Monroe; unknown • Travel to Olympia is reduced; unknown but low • Direct costs of involved faculty; unknown • Seedlings/25 hectares; est. $5,500 • Planting tool sets/36 sets; est. $2,600 • General overhead and expenses; est. $2,700 • Income: none • Goodwill is increasing as PR increases at PNAIS, etc.

  21. Financials 3rd and 4th year: • Costs/year: • Travel to activities in Monroe; unknown • Direct cost of faculty; unknown • Seedlings: 3rd year est. $5,600, 4th year est. $1,000 • Planting tool sets/10 sets; est. $900 • General overhead and expenses; est. $2,800 • Income: none • Goodwill: Continues to spread through word-of-mouth, local media, etc.

  22. Financials 6th year • Costs/year: • Costs will stabilize at about the level for the 4th year • New costs may be incurred putting in an education/retreat center based on ten platforms, guide tents, a well, and associated equipment • Goodwill: maintained at high level • Income: First poplar cuttings sold at $2/bf

  23. Resource Requirements at Start Up • Non-financial • Planning and technical support from State and University Departments • Input from potential harvesters and buyers • Financial • Startup costs of seedlings, tools, utility vehicle, etc. • Land, insurance, and overhead, including staffing

  24. Organizational Rewards SAAS would • Be carbon neutral, and in a position of community leadership • Have a non-tuition income stream for scholarships, and development of program and facilities • Have gained an educational/retreat center that can be used in multiple ways to further the goals and culture of the school • Have a recognized brand

  25. Educational Rewards Students would • Have a place-based, experiential, expeditionary, opportunity to learn in an interdisciplinary, authentic manner both in and out of class. • Be exposed to the complexity of scientific, economic, and socio-cultural facets of making a project work. • Develop a long-term, vested interest and understanding of sustainability issues

  26. Near-term Key Issues • Is acreage available? • Donation, long-term rent, loan? • What don’t we know? • Don’t underestimate our ignorance. • Are possible mentor/models available? • Commercial, academic, government • What resources are available to explore this effort?

  27. Long-term Key Issues • What is the impact of Cap and Trade? • How do we maintain the integrity of the SAAS project so that only realized offsets are sold? • How do we maintain interest, enthusiasm, and support for ongoing project?

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