Action - Neutralize with carbon offsets
Carbon offsets are becoming increasingly popular in western countries. They provide a no-effort way to neutralize parts of an unsustainable lifestyle that are difficult or impossible to change.
When you purchase offsets the organization who sold them will use that money to fund some activity that will reduce CO2 emissions by the same amount you were quoted. Popular activities are tree planting, investments in renewable energy and conservation, and recently methane capture. Investments in renewable energy would be similar to signing up with a clean energy provider. Your money would subsidize the generation of more expensive renewable energy.
There are various ways you can purchase offsets. A lot of recent marketing has been related to offsetting flights or cars, but you can also calculate what your total footprint is and purchase a bulk amount.
The price of offsets will vary but are normally in the range of $15-$20 per ton.
Known benefits and costs
| Annual CO2 Savings | 5,000 - 10,000 kg |
|---|---|
| 11,000 - 22,000 lbs | |
| Annual Cash Savings | $0 - $0 |
| Initial Cost | $150 - $300 |
| Time to pay for itself | 0.0 - 0.0 years |
| CO2 saved per year per initial dollar invested | 5 - 15 kg |
* These values were taken from many sources including product documentation, published reports, and the referenced material below. The ranges are due to differences in methods of achieving this action.