An Allen Marine Tours whale watching boat witnesses humpback whales bubble net feeding. The tour company will collect carbon offset donations on their boat tours throughout Southeast Alaska.
Allen Marine’s Director of Guest Experience Caitlyn Ellis says they hope the program will eventually generate thousands of dollars in donations. Carbon offset is the idea that a person or company can make up for their CO2 emissions in one area by paying to reduce emissions elsewhere. In this case, heat pumps run on renewable hydroelectricity instead of heating oil. So installing them cuts down on the use of fossil fuel in local homes to make up for the fossil fuel burned by Allen Marine tours.
The second option happens on board. On every Allen Marine boat, there’s a kiosk with a local snack selection and complimentary coffee. There’s a small poster there that reads “Ready to reduce your carbon impact?”But instead of donating to a food pantry or an animal shelter, visitors donate to Renewable Juneau, a region-wide non-profit that has partnered with Allen Marine to install heat pumps for low-income families.