Carbon Footprint/Carbon Offset

What is a carbon footprint? We keep hearing that term bandied about but what does it mean. Well, a carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly by an individual, organization, event or product. These greenhouse gas emissions then add to the global warming problem. There are many things we can do in our daily life to lessen our footprint. We can make educated decisions when it comes to travel, our homes, our food and what we buy and how we throw things away. There are many different places you can go to calculate your own carbon footprint. I went to The Nature Conservancy’s website to calculate the footprint for my household. While our household’s footprint came out below the U.S. National average we were far above the World Average so should look at how we can reduce your climate impact. The Nature Conservancy’s website has information on this subject available after you finish calculating your footprint.

Another term we hear is carbon offset. A carbon offset if something that produces measurable reductions in greenhouse gases. This can be from using money to help farmers pay for equipment that captures and generates electricity from methane or from helping wind-power developers compete with coal-fired plants resulting in more clean energy flowing into the electrical grid. There are many carbon offset companies and organizations out there so be sure to do a little research before using one to make sure you are using a reputable provider. In the USA weekend magazine this past weekend, February 27 – March 1st, they had a small article on this subject. In the article they noted that there are independent standards, such as the Voluntary Carbon Standard, that carbon off-setter companies should be using so look for this when deciding where to send your money. Also, they noted to think “instant gratification” because global warming is an urgent problem. They mentioned to look for companies that sell offsets that result in reductions in the same year as you buy them. For example, tree planting projects, while a good idea, take decades to reduce carbon.

To figure out your carbon footprint, visit the Nature Conservancy’s website. If we all work together we can make a big difference!