Kyle Kornack believes that you can offset 100 percent of your car’s carbon emissions by paying an extra 10 cents a gallon at the pump. He graduated from the Northeastern University in 2013 with a degree in environmental studies and philosophy. According to him, with 40 million people fueling up at the pump each day, we envision gas stations as hubs of environmental advocacy. He says that even though people recycle their trash, change all their light bulbs, and use public transportation, when they hop in their car, they have to use fossil fuels.
Kornack along with his two partners, Liam Madden and David Cooch founded a company called Green Gas, which makes it easy for drivers to erase their carbon footprint. The company offers environmentally conscious motorists two options. In March 2018, the partners launched a special debit card that automatically pays an extra 10 cents per gallon, which goes directly to several certified carbon offset programs. The second option allows drivers to push a button on the pump touch screen to make a similar donation. “It’s a visceral experience because we’re asking them to donate at the moment they’re pumping gas, and smelling the fossil fuel. It’s the moment when they feel the strongest need to act” Kornack said.
According to Kornack, out of the 10-cent-per-gallon donation, only one penny goes to running the company. The remaining 90% goes directly to Certified Emission Reduction programs. He said “Absorbing carbon is just the tip of the iceberg. This project is also restoring habitat needed by migratory waterfowl, creating a natural buffer zone to reduce pesticide runoff into the Mississippi River”. “The people who are going participate in this initiative feel a responsibility to clean up after themselves to reduce their carbon footprint. We’re making it easy for them to do it with the push of a button” he further added.
Shahjadi Jemim Rahman