Limousines Stretching Toward Greener Times

What to do?

Valera staffers came up with the idea to join the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), which bills itself as the world's first and North America's only voluntary but legally binding greenhouse gas emissions registry, reduction and trading system. Valera joined CCX as an associate member in October.

That means Valera now is legally bound to inventory and report its company's carbon emissions to CCX for verification and audit. Reporting requirements include vehicle fleet emissions, as well as those associated with the company's air travel and its general operations.

After completion of the carbon emissions tally and verification of totals, Valera is required to purchase and retire CCX Carbon Financial Instrument contracts.

Put more simply: Valera reports its carbon emissions. CCX, using United Nations and other standardized verification and crediting protocols and procedures, approves the report. Valera is then required to pay for CCX-approved programs, such as reforestation and the development of wind and solar energy projects, designed to offset the carbon emissions Valera described in its annual report.

It's complicated. And there are many critics who say the carbon offset program is as much of an environmental ruse as putting little gas-electric hybrid cars in the service of a luxury limousine company. But Mackasek said the program has definite value for his firm and its clients.

"It means we spend hundreds of dollars annually instead of thousands to make a green statement," he said. "It's a way for us to show our concern" for global warming and related environmental problems "and to educate our clients without inconveniencing them," Mackasek said.

Ruse or not, it is a classically American approach to an environmental problem -- as American as baseball, Mom and apple pie.