One of the unfortunate realities of modern life is that discussions of companies attempting to be good neighbors and adopt environmentally friendly initiatives often degenerate into the heated discussions of climate change, what causes it and what response- if any- is appropriate to take. These arguments often overshadow legitimate attempts to do something good for the planet. With that in mind, whether you believe humans are responsible for climate change or not, I hope we can all agree it is a good thing when a company participates in a forest preservation program.
Microsoft’s recent investment in forest lands near Mount Rainier will help the area to become the first project in Washington state to meet California carbon standards. The technology company has purchased 35,000 of the 37,000 total credits required to restore the forest. Microsoft says that their investment in this project is the environmental equivalent of removing 6,000 automobiles from the road.
About 520 acres of old forest land will be spared from being clear cut and be developed to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere. While Microsoft claims to have been carbon neutral since 2012, environmental organizations such as Greenpeace argue that the software giant has not taken sufficient action.
“At Microsoft we want to do our part and this project not only offsets carbon emissions, but it also protects forests in the region we call home,” said Tamara DiCaprio, Senior Director of Environmental Sustainability at Microsoft in a press release.
Image courtesy of Joseph Roccio.
