Government officials and foreign experts based in Laos are helping to save the planet by using the internet to conduct their business. That is according to the manager of ‘LaoFAB’, an online discussion group that has been in operation for more than three years and now has 170,000 members.
LaoFAB has just been awarded carbon credits worth 15 dollars under the UN Clean Development Mechanism. This is the second time a Lao organisation has been awarded carbon credits, the first being the Beer Lao Brewery. The manager of LaoFAB, Mr Andrew Barter, explained to the Vientiane Times how the credits are earned.
“Firstly, we determined that a typical meeting in Vientiane attended by 40 people produces about half a tonne of carbon emissions. This is partly due to local travel, air-conditioning, photocopying and plastic water bottles. In addition, the participants produce a lot of hot air during the actual discussions.
“Next, we calculated how many ‘meeting equivalents’, or ME’s, are taking place at the LaoFAB online forum. With 1,700 member receiving an average of 10 messages per day, that is about half a million transactions per month. Compare that to a typical meeting with about 480 transactions - or less if the participants are asleep - and we concluded that LaoFAB is equivalent to at least 1,000 meetings per month”
Another feature of LaoFAB that is earning carbon credits is an online library know as the Suppository. The library contains hundreds of reports that were stolen from different projects.
Mr Barthtub told this reporter that the library was helping to put consultants out of business because projects could now find the information they needed without hiring somebody from overseas.
“The carbon cost of these consultants is enormous” says Mr Battle. “A round-trip flight between Laos and Europe produces more than one tonne of emissions. Plus these experts drive around in Landcruisers and stay in refrigerated hotels.”
As a result of these efforts, LaoFAB has been awarded 7,000 credits per year, known as Certified Emissions Reductions. Each credit is currently worth about 15 dollars on the international market.
Mr Bullet believes that there is a lot more potential in Laos for making money by Reducing Emissions through Deception and Double- Dealing (REDDD)
His next scheme involves something he calls ‘virtual tourism’. “I want to install web-cams all around the country, create an online shopping mall for Lao products, and launch chatrooms where foreigners can talk to Lao students without ever leaving their own country”. He adds: “of course we will charge for these ‘internet-ional holidays’, plus we can also apply for more carbon credits”.
Interested investors will be able to get updates on Mr Bratwurst’s scheming at the LaoFAB discussion group.
