Cooper Mountain Vineyards goes carbon neutral

The company has accepted the Carbon Neutral Challenge Initiative of Oregon wineries and plans to be certified carbon neutral in early 2009.

Winery owner Dr. Bob Gross said: "We are proud that we have created superior wines in the least impactful way possible but becoming carbon neutral will be our next step in helping to preserve and protect our environment for future generations."

To achieve carbon neutrality, Cooper Mountain Vineyards has committed to a series of milestones that will guide them toward its emissions goal.

They have already achieved the first milestone of taking inventory of all possible carbon emissions at the vineyard. The remaining milestones are:

Milestone #2: Creating and implementing a mitigation plan for its carbon emissions. To do so, Cooper Mountain Vineyards plans to:

Reduce fuel consumed by winery owned vehicles

Source biodiesel for fuel

Utilize renewable or solar energy

Retrofit electric outlets throughout the winery

Continue employee education on internal energy conservation techniques, including decreasing waste through recycling and working toward more energy efficient tractor use

Milestone #3: Purchasing carbon offsets to counter any remaining carbon dioxide the winery might emit during wine production.

Milestone #4: Receiving certification of carbon neutrality from the Climate Registry.

"Becoming carbon neutral by early 2009 is a tough timeline, but it's imperative that we address climate change and take action towards prevention as soon as possible," Gross concluded.