Mantria Place aims to become the first carbon negative community in the USA 
(13/06/2008)
Mantria Communities, has announced the $17.5 million acquisition of 5,500 acres in Middle Tennessee (Sequatchie County) and plans for the nation’s first carbon diversion power system. Tennessee’s largest master planned community, Mantria Place, will boast two championship golf courses, two lakes/marinas and over 2000 acres of green space.
“We pledge Mantria Place will be the first carbon negative community in the nation by 2011,” states Troy Wragg, Mantria Corporation Chairman and CEO. “Carbon neutral is simply not good enough given today’s environmental issues. At Mantria, we believe that we must go much further to truly help our planet. Our goal is to be carbon negative.”
Mantria Place will take several steps to ensure this goal. To begin with, each resident will be required to pay a universal carbon tax. The carbon tax is fixed at $50 per ton, with an estimated 40 tons of carbon being emitted per household, for an annual tax of $2,000.00.
Secondly, by focusing on more organic development products, such as organic concrete, faux rock and bio-diesel bulldozers, Mantria Place has pledged to reduce development emissions by 25%.
Thirdly, Mantria Place will be implementing an industry revolutionizing carbon diversion system that will create 100% green power to the community by converting waste into energy. The surplus green power the system will generate will ultimately be sold back to the local power companies, thereby offsetting more carbon and creating a more positive environment for the surrounding area.
Lastly, Mantria Place will be investing in carbon credits focused on reforestation, offsetting the balance of the carbon footprint.
“At Mantria Place, our carbon footprint analysis accounts for everything from the actual development to the projected long-term water usage of our golf courses to the paper products that will be each of our restaurants,” states Amanda Knorr, Mantria Corporation President and Chief Operating Officer.
Based on the belief to obtain financing from the non-conventional sources, Mantria Place received a loan from The Maclellan Foundation, a $400 million dollar not-for-profit organization which has served the evangelical and Chattanooga communities for over sixty years.
Related categories: Carbon trading Environmental technologies for Residential and Green homes
