Workplace Centre for Spiritual and Ethical Development

Ethics for Breakfast presents

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
7:15 - 8:30 am

Our Carbon Footprint:
The Ethics of Offsets

with James Tansey, PhD,
Co-Founder, Offsetters.org, and
Chair of Business Ethics, Sauder School of Business and Centre for Applied Ethics, UBC

How important - or ethical - are carbon offsets?

Carbon offsets are one of a number of strategies for addressing climate change.

Offsets are financial investments in projects that prevent greenhouse gases from being emitted into the atmosphere. They can include paying to have someone else curtail air pollution or develop "renewable" energy sources. Praised as an important way of promoting green development, they've also been criticised for allowing "catholic" indulgences and "business as usual."

Join us as James explores the ethics of offsets, and describes how they can play an important role in addressing climate change and reducing our carbon footprint in the short-to-medium term.

click here to RSVP -or- phone: 604.685-6560

DATE:            Tuesday, June 10th-- 7:15-8:30 am

LOCATION:   BC Hydro Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      Register at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 (muffins, tea and coffee included)

click here to RSVP   or phone: 604.685-6560

About Our Speaker:

James Tansey, PhD, is the Chair in Business Ethics at the Sauder School of Business and W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics at the University of British Columbia.

He is also co-founder of www.offsetters.org, a Canadian Web site/organization providing carbon offsets that are "verified, permanent, socially beneficial and additional" by investing in greenhouse gas prevention projects that would otherwise not take place.

Managing Editor of the journal, Integrated Assessment, and an Assistant Professor in the Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Division at UBC, James has taught MBA, EMBA, Executive Education, MSc and Undergraduate programmes in both Canada and the UK. He also works as an advisor and contributor to such organizations as the World Economic Forum, the UK National Audit Office, Oxford Analytica, Cisco, ISIS Innovation (Oxford), Environment Canada, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the Asymmetric Threats Contingency Alliance.

James' current research focuses on emerging international markets for carbon exchange, the social determinants of health in developed countries, and the governance of biotechnology and genomics in Canada. His past work includes lecturing in Science and Technology Studies with the Said Business School in Oxford, England, where he was also deputy director of the James Martin Institute for Science and Civilization.

When not working, James enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, running, riding his various bikes, swimming, skiing and learning to sail.