Carbon Offsetting

Carbon Offsetting; Is It Ethical?

By Beverly Saltonstall

Greenhouse gasses are the gases present in our atmosphere that both absorb and emit radiation. This is the driving force of the greenhouse effect which helps to maintain the current temperature on earth. Without greenhouse gasses life on earth would not be possible due to extreme cold conditions.

Water vapor H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) methane (Ch4) and ozone (O3) are naturally occurring greenhouse gasses that are found in the atmosphere. Other greenhouse gasses found in our atmosphere are halocarbons, substances containing chlorine and bromine sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), perfluorocarbons, (PFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which are all human introduced.

The problem is that, humans are adding both good and bad greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere in far greater quantities than is needed to maintain this temperature balance.

Except for a few diehard radicals, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind how damaging the excess greenhouse gasses are to our environment. One solution to the problem that has been devised is to purchase carbon offsets. Every human on earth, every business, organization and city gives off carbon dioxide. The amount of that carbon dioxide that emitted is your carbon footprint.

While everyone would like to be carbon neutral, that is not always possible. Carbon offsets were developed to allow individuals and businesses to offset the amount of carbon dioxide they emit. This is done by contributing to greenhouse gas reduction projects that will help achieve the goal of clean energy in the future.

While reducing your carbon footprint at home is the right thing to do, supporting a project such as the construction of a wind farm can offer a greater benefit. The number of these carbon offset programs is growing as more and more people are trying to cut down on their impact on the environment and become carbon neutral.

The problem with this is two-fold. First off many dubious projects are sprouting up that claim to be reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Many of these projects would have been completed whether or not they received carbon offset monies.

The second problem is the ethics involved. A recent article in Newsweek Magazine used the term “checkbook environmentalists”. These are people and corporations who have big bucks to purchase carbon offsets. They often make no attempt at reducing the amount of carbon dioxide they generate. People who still drive huge SUV’s and corporations who and purchase carbon offsets while they are still polluting the environment, have many wondering about the ethics of such a practice.

In general, carbon offsetting is a step in the right direction. Calculating your carbon footprint should be your first step and making a decided effort to reduce your carbon footprint should be your first step. Then carefully choosing a reputable company from which to purchase your carbon offsets is the next step. As more and more programs are developed, that decision will become easier.

Since airline travel is one of the most gas-guzzling forms of passenger transportation, the airline industry is getting in on the lucrative carbon offset business. The San Francisco Airport about to be the first in the world to be providing kiosks where you can calculate the carbon load that your flight will generate, and allow you to purchase carbon offsets at that time. Virgin America is an airline that offers in flight opportunities to purchase carbon offsets.

A Google search for the term “carbon offset opportunities” will generate thousands off hits. Deciding on which company to choose from to purchase your carbon offsets will take some research, but the benefits will be worthwhile.

About the Author: Beverly Saltonstall is an environmental writer. Visit http://pollutionwebsite.com for news, podcasts, articles and guides covering many aspects of pollution. To understand pollution, read "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Pollution, But Never Dared to Ask". (available on website)

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