Going carbon neutral

These days, most of us are aware that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the root causes of climate change. However, despite the efforts we make to reduce our impact on the environment, it is virtually impossible to eliminate every personal activity that produces GHGs. Almost everyone has to travel by air occasionally, and many people cannot avoid using their cars on a daily basis. Although we cannot realistically bring our polluting emissions down to zero, it is now possible to right the wrongs that we are unwillingly inflicting on our planet.

There are a number of organizations that can help you measure your personal GHG emissions, calculate their environmental cost and assist you in "repaying" this cost through a financial contribution to an ecological project that will compensate for the exact quantity of GHGs you've emitted. In other words, you can purchase emission offset credits that give you the « right » to create a given amount of GHGs; in return, the offsetting organisation will invest your donation in ecological projects that will prevent that same amount of carbon from being emitted elsewhere in the world. In essence, this transaction allows you to neutralise your GHG emissions.

Everyone wins: The earth will be better off and you'll feel less guilty. What's more, you'll learn how to measure the real impact of your actions and change your behaviour as a result. And finally, these credits are affordable, even for those on a restricted budget.

For example, a round-trip flight from Montreal to Paris (11,049 km), which emits 2.43 tonnes of CO2 per passenger, will cost you only $95.38 in compensation credits provided you are flying economy class.

For a mere $155.82, you can offset the 3.97 tonnes of CO2 that a 2004 automatic transmission Ford Focus will emit over the 20,000 km most people cover by car per year.

However, there is a certain amount of controversy surrounding some organizations offering GHG credits, as carbon offsetting is relatively new and legislation concerning the practice remains unclear. On ethiquette.ca, you will find a list of offsetters that meet the highest standards and invest in projects with verifiable results. To find out more about which offsetting services are best for you, visit: http://ethiquette.ca/offset