Earth Day is EVERY Day
Organic Remedies is proud to become the first and only Carbon Free Marijuana Organization in Pennsylvania.
As cultivators of cannabis, a natural plant that for centuries has been used as a remedy for many health conditions, we are motivated to maintain the organic nature of our products and determined to do our part to cultivate and manufacture products without harming our environment.
To that end, we are committed to our sustainability initiatives and focused on responsible consumption and production.
In 2023 we were presented with our Carbon-free Certificate, which means that we have been certified as a carbon-neutral company by offsetting carbon emissions through forestry, planting trees.
Carbon emissions from delivery vans, facility boilers, lights, all electrical emissions were assessed for the total BTUs, and then adjusted for offsetting through planting trees delivering a net zero level of carbon emissions.
In addition, we are moving to use of biodegradable bags for our vape cartridges and other packaging. Our flower jars have always been recyclable.
Other components of our initiative include:
- Use of recycled rainwater, rainwater is collected off the greenhouse roof through piping and captured in an aquafer for reuse in watering the plants. We have no runoff from the facility.
- No pesticides are used in cultivation. We use only bio-controls to manage unwanted pests through our integrated pest management system.
- We have planted thousands of trees around our facility.
- We capture CO2 from our boiler to use to enhance plant health; when the boiler heats during the day, CO2 is captured and pumped into the greenhouse.
- We recycle what we can while adhering to D.O.H. regulations.
- Greenhouses are naturally low energy users because natural light is used year-round. Lighting is needed at certain times of the year and in the nighttime hours.
Understanding Climate Change
What is the Greenhouse effect and how does this cause global climate change?
The greenhouse effect is the way in which heat is trapped close to Earth’s surface by greenhouse gases. These heat-trapping gases can be considered a blanket wrapped around Earth, keeping the planet warmer than it would be without them.
Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, and water vapor. The level of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere has been rising consistently for decades and traps extra heat near Earth’s surface, causing temperatures to rise. This temperature increase has long-term climate impacts and affects various natural systems.
The most common of these is carbon dioxide which makes up nearly 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
Human activity is causing an increase in greenhouse gas emissions in two ways. By cutting down forests, we are destroying the planet’s natural ability to remove and store carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere. At the same time, humans are releasing carbon dioxide through a variety of methods.
Concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have increased significantly since the industrial revolution. Historical measurements show that the current global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are unprecedented compared with the past 800,000 years, even after accounting for natural fluctuations.
Turning Back the Clock on Climate Change
2015 Paris Agreement: goal is to limit the rise in mean global temperature by 1.5°C (34.7 degrees F) above pre-industrial levels to avoid the most severe impacts of climate change.
To succeed, global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) need to be cut in half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050 (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2018).
The IPCC states that global emissions must fall 7.6% per year between 2020 and 2030, roughly the same drop in emissions from the COVID-19 lockdowns.
What is a carbon footprint?
- Carbon footprint refers to the amount of carbon dioxide generated by human activity, whether individual or an organization. People, products and entire industries have carbon footprints.
- Carbon accounting involves tracking emissions from a wide range of sources, including transportation, industry, and agriculture.
- The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average carbon footprint is closer to 4 tons.
- People can do many easy things to lower their carbon footprint and help fight climate change.
- Your personal footprint includes emissions from a variety of sources — your daily commute, the food you eat, the clothes you buy, everything you throw away ... and more. The larger your footprint, the heavier the strain on the environment.
