offsets
No matter how much we try, it is very hard for any of us to completely eliminate emissions from our lifestyles. We can all recycle, buy a hybrid, & change our light bulbs—but we still must drive and fly from time to time. Fortunately, there is another option for reducing our environmental impacts: purchasing offsets.
In a nutshell, an offset is an agreement with a third party to implement projects on your behalf that zero out your own environmental impacts. So, if you are responsible for generating 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from your air travel, an associated offset purchase would mean that some company or nonprofit implemented projects, like wind power generation, that saved 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.
There are various types of offsets. In some, you are paying to directly have the carbon dioxide removed. For instance, the organization you pay might go out and plant trees that will absorb the amount of carbon dioxide you produced. In others, you are paying to fund renewable energy projects that will generate power without emitting any carbon dioxide.
Offsets can also be used for impacts outside of global warming. In some areas of the United States, you can buy air pollution credits that reduce various types of toxic air pollutants. There are also markets in some areas for water quality credits, and new regulations suggest these opportunities will grow significantly. You may also be able to buy habitat offsets in the near future which will pay to restore the damage caused by development projects.
A number of offset services have sprung onto the market in the last several years. Read on to learn about your choices.
Terrapass
- Each year, the average car emits about 10,000 lbs (three times its weight!) in carbon dioxide pollution— a leading cause of global warming. At www.TerraPass.com you can calculate the carbon dioxide emissions of your specific make/model based on the number of miles you drive each year. Then you can buy a TerraPass to offset your car.
- Your purchase of a TerraPass supports energy projects that balance out your car's climate impact and moves us all ahead on the road to a future of clean, renewable energy.
- TerraPass channels its resources to get the maximum environmental benefit from every dollar. We fund three types of leading-edge projects: clean energy such as wind and biodiesel; biomass such as dairy farm methane; and industrial efficiency. All of our investments are third-party verified by Green-e, one of the country's leading authorities on renewable and clean energy issues. So all results are measurable and every transaction is transparent.
carbonfund.org
our mission: toward a zero carbon world
Carbonfund.org is a nonprofit organization that educates the public about the dangers of climate change and provide resources to individuals, businesses, and civic groups to take action NOW. In summary:
- Carbonfund.org seeks a cleaner, safer and more prosperous world for our generation and future generations.
- Carbonfund.org educates the public about climate change and the dangers it poses for our planet.
- Carbonfund.org promotes easy, cost effective solutions to climate change, encouraging people to “reduce what you can, offset what you can not.”
- Carbonfund.org reduces the threat of climate change by supporting renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects that reduce carbon emissions.
- Our goal is to make carbon offsets, green power, energy efficiency and Zero Carbon living easy, affordable and a normal way of life for every individual and business.
For more information, please visit: www.carbonfund.org
NativeEnergy
NativeEnergy is a privately held Native American energy company. NativeEnergy helps you help build Native American, farmer-owned, and charitable purpose renewable energy projects that create social, economic, and environmental benefits. Native Americans and farmers traditionally care for and care about the environment because they are also very dependent on the gifts of the Earth for their survival. They are seeking a way to build their economies and their communities. This is one of the reasons we developed our novel approach to renewable energy; we want our business—our work—and so also our customers’ purchases, to make a real difference.
For more information, please visit: www.nativeenergy.com
Individual results of using green products and services listed herein may vary. Low Impact Living, Inc. takes no responsibility for individual results, nor for service providers or products listed on this website.
