Boiling Point - Episode 076

Boiling Point - Episode 076 - Jeff Schnurr

Conservation Capitalism

Show Notes

Conservation Capitalism

Introducing Jeff Schnurr

The saying goes, “there is more than one way to skin a cat.” The same is true for conservation. The choice doesn’t have to be between jobs and preservation because there is a middle ground. Jeff Schnurr knows this, and his organization, Community Forests International, both aids in the conservation of forests and is a moneymaking entity.

After he completed high school in Sackville, New Brunswick, Jeff started tree planting and traveling the world. He ended up in Pemba, Tanzania (an island in the Indian Ocean), where over the years his efforts led to trees being planted, renewable energy projects, as well as agriculture projects. The goal was to work with the community in Pemba and develop new ways for people on the island to live on the land and make an income. Through the efforts of Community Forests International, over 1.5 million trees, over 100 football fields of agriculture have been produced.

Jeff has since taken what he has learned from the Pemba projects and translated them back to New Brunswick and developed a way practice sustainable forestry while storing carbon and selling carbon offsets. Check out this week’s Boiling Point to see how conservation and capitalism can work in harmony.

In this episode

We hear how Jeff got involved with worldwide conservation.
Jeff discusses the great things that are happening in Pemba, and how he has taken what he has learned back to Canada.
We learn how not all forestry is harmful and practices that actually improve the health of the forest.
We discuss the middle ground of conservation and capitalism.
Jeff describes his interesting business model and what carbon trading is all about.
He also tells us how he focuses his attention with projects happening on both sides of the world.
Jeff also tells us about how it is easy to find people when you have an organization based on a belief.
We learn why New Brunswick was low-hanging fruit for Community Forests International and what comes next for the organization.
Dave loves how Community Forests International has an educational component and learns how much potential we have in our woods.
Greg loves the idea of taking on conservation with an entrepreneurial approach.