Now serving: burgers, beer, carbon offsets

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Richard “Gus” Gusler, a rock music promoter, Democratic Party activist and self-described liberal idealist, had an ideological quandary on his hands.

His restaurant, the Players’ Retreat Tavern in Raleigh, is an energy hog that contributes to one of Gusler’s pet bugaboos: global warming.

The tavern’s deep fryers, walk-in coolers and charcoal grill pump out as much carbon dioxide as 200 Ford Taurus cars every year. Carbon dioxide is the leading greenhouse gas believed to contribute to global warming, and reducing one’s “carbon footprint” has become synonymous with reversing global climate change.
Brandon Ewing, head cook at the Players’ Retreat Tavern on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, cooks burgers in the restaurant’s kitchen. Gus Gusler, the restaurant’s owner, is reducing its carbon footprint by buying offsets.

Carbon footprint calculators

Numerous organizations and businesses provide online tools to help their customers calculate their greenhouse gas emissions for auto travel, air travel and household energy use. Here are a few examples:

Progress Energy

NC GreenPower

SafeClimate
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So in this era of climate anxiety, Gusler is showcasing his hangout near N.C. State University as a solution. He declared his business to be “carbon neutral” — by erasing his carbon footprint. He didn’t do it by shutting down the kitchen and turning off the air conditioner. Instead, he paid his way out of a moral predicament.

For about $200 a month, Gusler buys “carbon offsets” that subsidize a clean energy project near Chicago, a municipal landfill that traps seeping methane and reroutes the gas to generate clean electricity. Specifically, Gusler’s share offsets the equivalent of 196.5 tons of carbon dioxide a year in Illinois. That happens to be the amount his restaurant generates in Raleigh from cooking, cooling and food deliveries.

“I don’t know how anyone can sit here and not be concerned about global warming,” Gusler said. “You watch Al Gore’s movie, and it scares the hell out of you when you see what can possibly happen.”

With the recession forcing layoffs and closures, buying discretionary feel-good items like carbon offsets will get harder to justify. But businesses that go green with plenty of fanfare may find it awkward to back out of their very public commitments. Gusler is vowing to buy more offsets despite tough times, a promise that many businesses won’t be able to keep.

“It’s pretty clear that these things are, by and large, going to be set aside,” said Bill Burtis, spokesman for Clean Air-Cool Planet, a New Hampshire educational nonprofit on global warming issues. “Corporations that are answerable to stockholders and stakeholders are going to say, ‘Nope, not now.’ ”

Vendors are trying to adapt to shrinking wallets, offering offsets in smaller batches at lower prices. N.C. GreenPower in Raleigh sells offsets for as little $4 a month, conveniently paid through your electricity bill.

Offsets surge

In recent years, hundreds of vendors have gotten into the competitive business of selling carbon offsets, sometimes calling them green tags or renewable energy certificates. Last year Progress Energy and Duke Energy, this state’s two biggest electric utilities, started promoting carbon offsets sold by N.C. GreenPower.

Local GreenPower customers include the Raleigh Convention Center, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and N.C. Central University, which bought the offsets to undo the environmental effect of greenhouse gases caused by daily operations and special events.

The buyer receives nothing more than a validation letter or a plaque. Supporters say they buy them for a range or reasons: They can’t afford solar panels, they can’t avoid commuting to work, or they can’t turn off air-conditioning.

“There’s only so much as a restaurant you can do on your own,” Gusler said.

Energy upgrades

He had already replaced an aging air conditioner with a high-efficiency model for about $6,500. He took out about 10 light bulbs and put in compact fluorescents. He got rid of Styrofoam packages and uses paper instead. His joint now refills ketchup bottles.

“That’s 100 plastic bottles a week not going to a landfill somewhere,” he said.

Gusler bought the offsets last fall. He has displayed a sign proclaiming Players’ Retreat as the state’s only restaurant that is carbon neutral. The restaurant’s Web site also touts it.

In matters of food as in everything else, Gusler is anything but neutral. The 60-year-old Raleigh lawyer, who grew up in the Age of Aquarius, used to promote rock concerts and now represents the band Hootie and the Blowfish. He was a fundraiser for former Democratic Sen. John Edwards’ presidential campaign and served as Edwards’ delegate to the party convention in 2004.

When he renews his contract for offsets this fall, Gusler is considering ways to expand. One obvious candidate: canceling out the fossil fuels burned for feeding, processing and transporting the Angus beef his restaurant depends upon to serve up 500 burgers a week.

“I’m going to buy them every year,” Gusler said. “The bottom line is, it’s a way we can do a small part to contribute to the environment.”