Thinking about buying offsets?

The relatively wealthy person’s solution to personal accountability for GHG emissions.

photo by the author. 2019

I bought a car recently after not having one for about 18 months. I got in it and dreamed of doing groceries in less than the “speed of bus.” Then I remembered the waste that it generates in old tires and then the guilt over green house gasses kicked in.

I couldn’t afford an electric or hybrid car, and I look forward to the point where there are enough of them available second hand that it becomes no big deal. However, in the meantime, drivers like me have a choice. We can pay someone else to do something that will take green house gasses out of the air to offset the ones we put in from driving our car.

We can buy carbon offsets from an offset provider. Offset providers will plant trees or invest in alternative energies or provide community development funding that transforms energy usage on your behalf.

I’ve checked a few of them out for all of us. You’re welcome.

The first step is to know how much you and your family are contributing to green house gas emissions. Here is a handy calculator that allows you to add in everything — your housing, you car, and even your alternative transport choices like busing and your consumption habits, and allows…