| Copyright © 2009 David Suzuki Foundation | | | | from my office.) But for the flights I can't avoid, I |
| February 22, 2008 - You may have been hearing a | | | | calculate the emissions using an online calculator, and |
| lot about carbon offsets, or 'carbon credits', lately. | | | | then purchase carbon offsets. |
| They've become a must-have accessory for | | | | Which offsets do I buy? Well, it's important to |
| individuals and organizations who want to fight climate | | | | choose offsets carefully, especially since the carbon |
| change and show their green credentials. | | | | offset market is new and mostly unregulated. If |
| Everyone from banks like HSBC, to rock bands like | | | | you're buying offsets, you should look for marks of |
| the Rolling Stones, to almost 500 NHL players are | | | | quality, like the Gold Standard. Offsets that carry the |
| purchasing carbon offsets for their emissions. | | | | Gold Standard label are regarded as the highest |
| But what are carbon offsets anyway? And do they | | | | quality offsets in the world, and help fund new |
| really help solve the problem of global warming? | | | | renewable energy projects. They are independently |
| As you know, greenhouse gas emissions - primarily | | | | audited to ensure your purchase has a climate |
| from the burning of fuels such as coal, oil and gas - | | | | benefit. I purchase Gold Standard offsets for all of |
| create heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. (I like | | | | my flights, and my Foundation uses them too. |
| to think of the atmosphere as Earth's electric | | | | But as with anything new, there's been some |
| blanket.) These extra gases cause the thermostat of | | | | misunderstanding around carbon offsets. For example, |
| our "electric blanket" to go haywire, a phenomenon | | | | they've been criticized as "papal indulgences", or |
| known as global warming. | | | | "buying your way out". |
| If we are to have any hope of avoiding the most | | | | I see it differently. First of all, carbon offset are not |
| dire effects of global warming, humanity must reduce | | | | an excuse for not reducing our emissions, but using |
| our collective greenhouse gas emissions. To do this, | | | | high quality offsets - like those that meet the Gold |
| we must use energy more efficiently, and switch to | | | | Standard - can be an innovative way to deal with |
| renewable energy sources such as wind or solar | | | | emissions that you aren't able to reduce yourself. |
| power. | | | | Purchasing offsets can also have an important |
| This transition will take some time and effort from | | | | educational benefit. I've heard from people who've |
| the world's political leaders, companies, and citizens. | | | | told me they decided to vacation closer to home |
| But each one of us can make a difference by taking | | | | after calculating their emissions to buy offsets for a |
| steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. | | | | trip abroad, and getting a true sense of the climate |
| As we make the transition to lower emissions, some | | | | impact of flying. |
| of us have unavoidable activities that create | | | | In the fight against global warming, the use of |
| greenhouse gases, like flying. Carbon offsets are just | | | | market-based tools - like carbon offsets - is here to |
| one of the tools available to help us compensate for | | | | stay. For example, they are included in the Kyoto |
| our emissions by making reductions somewhere | | | | Protocol. And for good reason. The world's leading |
| else. | | | | economists, including Sir Nicholas Stern, say that for |
| The concept is pretty simple. A carbon offset is a | | | | us to reduce the use of fossil fuels, we must place a |
| credit for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions | | | | price on carbon to take into account the negative |
| generated by one project, such as a wind farm, that | | | | climate impact it has. Carbon offsets are a step in |
| can be used to balance the emissions from another | | | | that direction. By voluntarily purchasing offsets for |
| source, such as a plane trip. Because greenhouse | | | | your emissions, you are recognizing the true cost of |
| gases know no boundaries, it doesn't really matter | | | | using fossil fuels, and helping to make clean energy |
| where the reduction takes place. | | | | sources more competitive. |
| For example, I still have to travel by air, which | | | | Carbon offsets are not a silver bullet, but global |
| creates a lot of greenhouse gas emissions. (I'm | | | | warming is such a big problem that it requires a whole |
| working hard to reduce these emissions by cutting | | | | range of solutions. Carbon offsets are just one of |
| down on my flights, taking trains and buses and | | | | them. |
| giving talks by video conferencing, which I can do | | | | |