As excited as I was to spend the Fourth of July weekend in Cape Cod with my three best friends from childhood, I was also feeling a sizeable amount of eco-guilt.
After all, while the three of them could carpool from New York, I was stuck traveling solo, weighing the cost and convenience of driving versus taking public transportation — and because of those factors, I ultimately decided to drive. I also had to assess the environmental fallout of Independence Day traditions such as fireworks displays, barbecues, and increased holiday consumption in general. Aside from some gentle proselytizing and adherence to my typical green practices (household energy conservation, free-range meat, and no paper towels — see "Patronizing Persuasion," by Deirdre Fulton, June 15, 2007), I needed something to balance my eco-transgressions in a more substantial way.
So for the first time ever, I did some personal (as opposed to professional) research into carbon offsets. Some of the most popular — and reputable — are TerraPass, Carbonfund.org, and Native Energy, according to Grist.org, a leading environmental Web site. Basically, each of these organizations allows you “offset” — i.e., balance out, or negate — your carbon emissions by helping to finance existing or to-be-built renewable-energy projects.
Carbon-offset programs aren’t without their pitfalls and controversies. Some critics claim that the ability to “offset” carbon emissions makes people feel freer to be less environmentally conscious. There’s also the question of whether the offsets serve to encourage new renewable energy-demand or simply finance already-existing projects. And there’s still no national or global regulation of offsets, which means that you can never be entirely sure that what you’re buying will actually do the Earth any good.
On the other hand, it’s safe to assume that people who are concerned about offsetting their carbon emissions are reducing and conserving in other areas of their lives (I know I am). Some offset programs promise “additionality” — a pledge that the offset actually brings about a new carbon reduction (rather than one that would have happened anyway). And while there aren’t any across-the-board standards, there are several highly respected certification programs run by organizations such as Green-E; the Environmental Resources Trust; and the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Alliance.
While Native Energy (nativeenergy.com) allows me to calculate my carbon emissions for a single trip — about 360 miles — both TerraPass (terrapass.com) and Carbonfund.org calculate my offsets based on my yearly automobile usage. I tell them what kind of car I drive (a 2004 VW Jetta) and they calculate my offsets based on estimated emissions.
Here, the discrepancies between, and lack of standardization for, offsets becomes evident. At Carbonfund, my offset would cost $54.42 (based on my car's average fuel efficiency of 20-35 miles per gallon, my car falls into the “full-size” category). At TerraPass, I’d spend $65.45 (they estimate that if I drive 12,000 miles a year, my car emits 10,200 pounds of carbon dioxide). And this particular trip to Cape Cod and back would cost me $12 if I bought my offset from Native Energy.
Originally, the cheapskate in me was going to go for the Native Energy offset. But a bit more research ultimately made Carbonfund more appealing. First of all, it allows me to tackle all of my driving sins at once. Secondly, it’s slightly more economical. Third, it's a non-profit (which has the added benefit of meaning my offset dollars are tax-deductible). And fourth, buyers can choose what type of project their dollars fund — energy efficiency, renewables, or reforestation. That’s the kind of choice I don’t mind making.
Deirdre Fulton can be reached atdfulton@thephoenix.com.
