Carbon offset means to bring down emissions of carbon or greenhouse gases to give back for emissions given off elsewhere. Offsets are measured in carbon dioxide-equivalents and represent six groups of greenhouse gases. One offset stands for reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide. Two main carbon offset markets exist. The larger market is made up of companies or governments that buy offsets to meet with caps put on them for carbon dioxide emissions and the smaller voluntary market is made up of individual smaller companies. These smaller companies and governments purchase carbon offsets to limit their own emissions that are caused by transport and electricity used in other places.

There is, however, a lot of controversy concerning the effectiveness of offsets. Critics claim that offsets camouflage the urgent need to change lifestyles, if the challenge of climate change is to be met. It is claimed that these offsets provide a false sense of being good and doing good, when in reality nothing is being done. A case in point, would be the 221,000 kilowatt hours of energy consumption in the mansion of Al Gore, the director of the documentary on climate change, “An Inconvenient Truth”. This is twenty times more than the national average. Gore conveniently buys offsets to cover his wasteful ways, instead of limiting his use. Critics want to see a shift from consumerism to lifestyles that are sustainable and achieved by shifting from using fossil fuels to renewable energy sources that are non-polluting. They want to see consumers minimize personal emissions and then go beyond and buy offsets. Proponents however claim that it is at least a step in the right direction.

The second point raised by critics, is that forestry projects are in many cases poorly planned and offsets in these cases are carbon neutral at best. They also claim that carbon impounded in trees will eventually be released into the surroundings, where they’ll die. Trees don’t reduce carbon, they merely sequester it as long as they are alive and it cannot be measured accurately in any case. Also, many plantation projects involve clearing existing vegetation, which ends up releasing stored carbon and replanting non-indigenous species die soon after the project is completed. So, while the company may get the offset credit in real value, the trees planted by them are ineffective in controlling greenhouse gases. Hence, the companies end up doing more harm than good. Proponents point out that deforestation makes up 25% of greenhouse emissions, so any efforts to counter that must involve forestry projects. While forest restoration projects generate social and environmental benefits when properly planned, they are only one type of offset activities.

The third point raised by critics, is that offsets are dependent upon baseline emissions. These measure the levels of greenhouse gases that would occur if there was no change made and making these measurements is next to impossible. To accurately take into account all factors which go into emission levels like socio-economic trends, demographic changes, and international policies, is very difficult. Thus, the assessments are nothing more than educated guesses at best. Proponents admit that baseline measurements are vague and future projections do include some uncertainty, but all efforts are made to keep these at a minimum since some sort of a measurement has to be made.

While there are greater numbers of projects in communities which are geared towards emission reduction, it is important to keep standards high so that companies and governments have to work hard to earn their offsets. By making carbon neutrality the aim for not only big businesses, but individuals and small businesses as well and maintaining the most stringent offset standards, meaningful climate steps can be taken.

What are Carbon Offsets?

When a typical car is driven, a plane is flown, or a light bulb is switched on, carbon and other gases are released into the atmosphere because fossil fuels were burned to create the necessary energy. Many environmentalists believe that these emissions – sometimes referred to as greenhouse gases – cause pollution that damages the Earth and may have catastrophic effects in the future.
A carbon offset, however, attempts to mitigate this damage by compensating – or “offsetting” – the necessary emission by reducing an emission elsewhere.

How Carbon Offsets Work

There are two types of markets for carbon offsetting; the compliance market and the voluntary market. In the compliance market – the much larger of the two – governments and corporations are bound by law to limit their carbon dioxide emissions to a prescribed cap. They stick to their caps by buying carbon offsets to comply with the rules.
Some companies and governments also participate in the voluntary market for carbon offsets, as do private individuals. For example, an individual may choose to offset the carbon emissions they contributed to with their air travel, by donating money to an organization that promises to plant a number of trees to absorb some of the carbon in the atmosphere and create oxygen in its place. In fact, it is becoming increasingly common for companies to up-sell their products, by offering to purchase carbon offsets to compensate for the emissions caused by their products or services.

What has Carbon Offsetting Achieved?

In 2006, carbon dioxide emissions were reduced by 1.6 billion metric tons as a result of compliance market offsetting, and two years later, in 2008, the voluntary market resulted in the reduction of about 123.4 million metric tons of the gas, according to some research.

What are the Advantages of Carbon Offsetting?

Carbon offsetting is an efficient and cost-effective way to lower the amount of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere because it takes advantage of the differences between carbon emitters. It is much easier for some entities to reduce their emissions than others, so buying and selling offsets allows the emitters to make trade-offs so that the overall amount of greenhouse gas is reduced.

What are the Disadvantages to Carbon Offsetting?

Although many environmentalists applaud offsetting as a way to compensate for emissions, it must be noted that offsetting does not actually prevent the emissions from happening in the first place, nor does it solve the problems attributed to greenhouse gases, such as climate change. Some environmentalists have warned that offsetting may be seen by corporations as a “get out clause” that will allow them to pollute unchecked.

What are the Positive Effects of Carbon Offsetting in the Long Term?

Proponents of offsetting believe that there are a myriad of positive effects that ensue as a direct result of the strategy. Environments believe offsetting can help improve and conserve natural habitats, protect biodiversity, improve water quality, encourage “green’ living and technology, create jobs by stimulating demand for clean energy products, and potentially save individuals and businesses money by reducing energy costs in the long run.

It is becoming more and more apparent that the world must take certain measures in order to reduce its carbon footprint. The amount of emissions that is currently being released into the environment is still large enough to significantly impact our world’s future, and in order to ensure the safety of our planet, we must try to reduce the amount of harmful substances that is being leashed upon our ecosystems.

However, this is not what many industrial companies want to hear. Countless corporations throughout the world release tons of harmful gases as a by-product of their manufacturing processes; industries as diverse as potato chip companies and the producers of steel products release similar types of emissions into the environment. It would be a very costly endeavor for these companies to change their harmful ways. Therefore, many manufacturing corporations look to appease customers and alleviate their negative impact on the environment through other means.

This is where carbon offsets come in. Carbon offsets allow various corporations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in an inexpensive, efficient manner.

If a company were to change its entire manufacturing process in order to make its procedures more environmentally friendly, the corporation would have to spend millions or even billions of dollars on new equipment, new processing designs, and new training for its workers. Instead of undergoing such a costly overhaul, many companies purchase carbon offsets instead. The company makes little to no change to its actual manufacturing processes. Instead, it invests in a program or system that is devoted entirely to reducing the world’s greenhouse gases. This support of a worthy cause essentially ‘makes up’ for the company’s bad impact on the world’s ecosystems.

There are many different programs that a corporation can support as a form of carbon offsetting. Oftentimes, companies will choose to donate to organizations that directly counteract their negative impact on the environment. For instance, a company that utilizes enormous amounts of gas–burning energy might purchase carbon offsets in the form of renewable energy sources such as windmills or solar power. Companies that consume large loads of tree-based resources might purchase carbon offsets that help to alleviate the destruction caused by extensive deforestation.

Carbon offsets are an important part of the regulation of our world’s ecosystems. These offsets are constantly criticized for treating a problem’s symptoms instead of the issue itself; most environmental activists demand that companies try to change their destructive ways, rather than simply compensate for the harm that they have already caused. However, carbon offsets nevertheless are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Due to the monetary investments of multiple large-scale corporations, the health of our soil, our atmosphere, and our water has improved. New jobs have been created to attend to environmentally friendly causes, and money is saved on energy throughout the entire United States.

Individuals and large-scale corporations alike need to do their part to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. However, when the direct reduction of harmful additives in the environment is not an option, carbon offsets can help to improve the condition of our ecosystems through other means.

Excess greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere are damaging the environment that all human beings share. Governments are slowly coming to realize that they need to take steps to become “carbon neutral” but most are a long way from that goal. We can’t wait for nations to change their behavior. It will never happen until individuals realize the importance of the issue and take action.

Every single person on the planet can do something about global warming. You can make changes at a personal level without feeling that you have given up anything. Limit your carbon footprint by doing things only slightly differently each day. This can make a big difference as more people join in. Many Earth-friendly, power-saving changes will also allow you to keep more money in your pocket.

Save the Environment While Saving Money – At Home

Change your light bulbs. Not just when they burn out. Exchange any incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents. You will use only 30% of the energy and still get just as much light.

Look for the Energy Star logo. The symbol designates appliances that are energy-efficient. If you purchase only those that are certified, you may pay more initially for these items. Over time, however, you’ll save on energy bills while helping the environment.

Adjust your home thermostat. Try keeping the house a few degrees warmer in summer and cooler in winter. Chances are you will never notice the difference if you put on a sweater or keep a glass of ice tea at your side. You will notice those lower utility bills as you lower your impact on the environment.

Unplug appliances. Many electronics and small appliances merely go on “stand-by” when switched off. This means they could still be using energy. Your TV, for example, uses a quarter of its total energy while it’s “off.” Take a moment to unplug these energy-stealers when you are not using them.

Use “green” energy. Look for clean energy options in your community and ask your power company what is available. Solar energy systems for the home are an option in most parts of the country and wind power is used increasingly. Departments of water and power across the country are sourcing some of their power from alternative means, mostly due to political pressure. Encourage your municipal power company to use methane gas (from landfills for example), geothermal and hydroelectric sources. Some cities offer credit to homeowners for “green” activities such as replacing their lawn with succulent plants that look good but require little water.

Out and About

Park the car. You’ll be a lot healthier if you walk or take your bicycle on errands, and so will the earth. CO2 levels go way down if you cut your use of the car by 20 miles weekly. Over the course of a year, you will save nearly a thousand pounds of carbon dioxide this way. Your car will hold onto its value longer and need less maintenance if you leave it in the garage more often. Not to mention the savings at the gas pump. Use rideshare options to get to work when possible and enjoy your new fit figure.

Get tune-ups. Make sure you keep your car in good running condition by taking care of it. This is just another way to reduce emissions when you do need to get behind the wheel.

Re-Use and repair. Don’t just toss items out if they can be fixed, and keep them out of the trash and landfills. Use and re-use your own canvas grocery bags and avoid the plastic disposables.

Use the recycle bin. Keeping unnecessary items out of the landfill and allowing them to be re-used as raw materials is very earth-friendly. Make sure to recycle toxic items like motor oil properly and safely according to the rules in your area.

Refill that bottle. Re-use your water bottles. You’ll avoid contributing to carbon emissions spewed from trucks transporting bottled water to your local store. Manufacturing the bottles requires energy that is not really necessary in most cases. If coffee is your thing, purchase a re-usable travel mug and tote your home-made brew. Or hand it across the counter for refills when you are at your local coffee bar. Some establishments will give you a small rebate for doing this, rather than using a disposable cup.

Support the local farmer’s market. Buying locally allows you to know more about how your food was processed and it will definitely be fresher. Truck emissions, from the mammoth vehicles hauling much of our food, are some of the worst polluters. Do your part to keep them off the road – and eat fresh and healthy.

Pay your share. Bring your carbon emissions to “zero” by buying carbon offsets. Your emissions will never reach zero because at the very least you must breathe. Even this emits CO2. Offset dollars are used to pay for environmental projects targeting greenhouse gasses and related issues – and can balance your carbon output. Various resources will help you figure your total carbon footprint. Then you can purchase the right amount of offsets from a vendor of your choice to become truly carbon neutral. This one may not save you money – but it will be worth it.

Vote. Support environmental issues and carbon-aware candidates in local and national elections. You can also vote with your wallet by avoiding products that waste energy and buying those that are gentle to the environment.

Global emissions are a world-wide problem that’s getting worse every day. Luckily there is a world-wide solution as well, if we all take action in small ways. Pick a few of these simple tips and make them part of your life today.

This has been a guest post from Jeff Woods. In addition to sustainability issues Jeff writes about his passion, fly fishing at flypatterns.org

A number of standards for offsets exist today, both third-party and self-determined.

However, a number of factors combine to make it difficult for consumers to evaluate the quality of offsets available on the voluntary market:

In short, a provider’s acceptance and use of an offset quality standard, regardless of whether it is a third-party or self-determined standard, cannot by itself be considered proof that their offsets are of the highest quality. Nevertheless, the use of a rigorous quality standard may be demonstrative of a commitment to offset quality.

Some of the standards that are in use today include:

Kyoto CDM: The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). CDM credits must meet strict requirements and be verified by authorized third parties.

The Gold Standard sets higher quality standards than the CDM and is endorsed by over 40 NGOs worldwide. Gold Standard projects may include renewable energy or energy efficiency technologies, but sequestration projects are excluded.

The Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS): The VCS is being developed by the Climate Group (TCG) and the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA). Carbon offsets that are certified and verified through the VCS are called Voluntary Carbon Units (VCUs) and are tradable.

ISO 14064 and 14065 were created by the International Organization for Standardization, and detail specifications and guidance related to validation, verification and accreditation of GHG projects and organizations.

Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX): The CCX has developed standardized rules for issuing carbon credits for certain types of offset projects. The CCX standards are proprietary.

Green-e sets standards for US renewable energy projects and verifies those projects. Green-e certified Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) cannot be used to also meet regulatory portfolio standards.

The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards (CCBS): The CCBS are a gold standard equivalent for Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Projects, andwere developed by a group called the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance.

Self-standards: A number of offset providers have developed their own standards for offset quality. The features and rigor of these standards vary.

I came across this fun calculator that helps you calculate your carbon footprint and wanted to share it with you. It has a fun interactive animation that builds your virtual lifestyle as you answer questions and gives helpful tips. At the end it gives you a carbon footprint report and more tips for how you might reduce your carbon emissions. It’s great for school projects for kids as well as it offers a kids’ option. This calculator was created by the Global Footprint Network.

Carbon Footprint Calculator courtesy of the Global Footprint Network

Click on the image to launch the carbon footprint calculator

This is an oldie but a goodie. Breathingearth is a fabulous site that offers an interactive map of carbon emissions, birth rates, and death rates in the world. It can be truly frightening to let it run for a while and see how much carbon and people we are adding to the world. Check out the different countries by highlighting them. I was amazed that a county like China only emits about 1/4 as much carbon per person as the United States.  In fact the United States and Canada were FAR worse for carbon emissions than any other developed country. Clearly it’s time for us in North America to start getting our act together on reducing our carbon footprint.

Carbon Emissions by Country via Breathingearth

Just Click the Image to View the Interactive Map

Welcome to the Carbon Tracker blog. We’re just getting set up right now. We’ll be adding a ton of great content soon! We’ll be talking about green issues, carbon emissions, carbon tracking, carbon credits, climate change and a bunch more.

Please check back. We’d love to have you as a reader.