How to Buy a Carbon Offset

Carbon offsets are becoming an increasingly popular way for individuals and businesses to participate in solutions to global warming. The basic idea of a carbon offset is to figure out your personal contribution level to the global warming problem from such activities as driving, flying, or home energy use. This contribution is called a "carbon footprint." The term refers to carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas. You can balance out your carbon footprint by buying carbon offsets. Your purchase funds reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through projects such as wind farms, which produce clean energy that displaces energy from fossil fuels. By funding these reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, you balance out, or offset, your own impact by an equivalent amount. Carbon offsets help you take personal responsibility for the environmental consequences of your activities.

Steps

1. 1
   Identify sources of carbon dioxide production in your daily life. For most people, one of main sources of carbon dioxide emissions is driving. Cars and trucks are responsible for 25% of all U.S. carbon emissions. Other sources of carbon emissions include air travel, household energy use, and products that are shipped long distances.
   
   
2. Reduce your greenhouse gas emissions directly. Conservation is easier than you think, and often pays for itself through energy savings:
   • Drive less, increase the fuel efficiency of your car, or consider living without a car altogether.
   • Save on heating and electricity in your home. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. Install better insulation and windows. If you're feeling ambitious, use solar energy to heat your pool or make your own electricity.
   • Look for locally grown foods by shopping at a farmers market.
3. Calculate your “carbon footprint,” the sum of carbon emissions from all your carbon-producing activities. The method of calculation depends on the activity. For example, if you know the average MPG of your car you can figure out your driving footprint fairly easily. There are plenty of online calculators to help. (see sources below). Some calculators vary in their methodologies, so you may want to read the fine print closely.
4.  Understand how offsetting works. Carbon offset providers balance out your carbon impact by ensuring that somewhere else on the planet, an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide is reduced as a result of your offset purchase. Generally speaking, except with reforestation projects, which can sequester emissions currently in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide isn’t removed from the atmosphere; rather emissions of new carbon dioxide are prevented. In either case, the environmental benefit is the same. Different offset providers have different ways of reducing carbon. Furthermore, the projects they sponsor for carbon reduction can pop up anywhere on the planet, from methane digesters at dairies in Minnesota to wind farms in India. 
5. Find a quality provider of carbon offsets. Because carbon offsets are fairly intangible, you need to take precautions to ensure that your purchase is having the intended impact. Here are some issues to look out for:
   • Are the projects certified according to industry standards and verified by third-parties? A variety of standards such as the U.N. Clean Development Mechanism, Chicago Climate Exchange, Environmental Resources Trust, California Climate Action Registry, Voluntary Carbon Standard, Green-e Climate and Gold Standard provide assurance that projects follow rigorous quality metrics. Environmental Defense and the U.S. EPA Climate Leaders program also have standards they endorse for high-quality offsets.
   • Is the offset provider's portfolio audited? Like a financial audit, this ensures your money was used for the purposes you designated.
   
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