Growing Popularity of Carbon Offsets

More and more companies are providing not only their employees with a carbon offset options that the employee donates to on their behalf, but companies are opening this option up to their customers as well. First, to define carbon offsetting in a very simple way:

Carbon Offsetting is the process of calculating a person’s carbon footprint and then balancing these ‘unavoidable’ emissions with an offset via a reduction in carbon dioxide elsewhere (think a planting of trees or renewable energy).

This is a fantastic approach and a way to reach out to those who don’t know where to begin in assisting the environment outside of recycling (I know first hand that it can be extremely daunting). Online resources such as DriveNeutral.org, CarbonFund.org and TerraPass provide a simple way to calculate and offset with the click of a button. Although many large corporations including  Dell, Expedia, Virgin America, JetBlue and VW are working with a carbon offsetting, and the online process being quite effortless, one would think that it would be EVERYWHERE… so what’s the catch?

No catch at all, just like any other ideas that are created it simply takes time and effort to get everyone on the same page for the same beneficial cause. Research still needs to be completed with regard to the types of offsets as well as where reforestation can take place and remain intact. I do believe though that carbon offsetting is sure to have an even stronger following than it already does and we will see positive changes as a result.

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