Global warming: what you can do today

I found a cheap and easy way to offset the carbon emissions from driving my car today. TerraPass provides free emissions reports for all major automobile makes and models and sells annual passes that offset those emissions.

I drive a 2005 Mazda RX-8, and TerraPass estimated that I'm generating about 7,500 pounds of CO2 per year by driving 8,000 miles. For $39.95, they sold me a pass which offsets 8,000 pounds of CO2 by funding projects that reduce industrial carbon dioxide emissions. These projects include "clean energy such as wind and biodiesel; biomass such as dairy farm methane; and industrial efficiency."

Along with the peace of mind that I've done something, I get a decal and bumper sticker to help spread the word.

I'm flying to Portland for their gay pride festival on Friday, and I paid $2.26 to offset the CO2 emissions for my seat on the flight at CarbonNeutral flights, again by financing projects such as small scale hydroelectric and biomass energy production. The CarbonNeutral Shop offers a variety of other products for reducing carbon emissions. There are similar sites on the web, and most seem to be based in the UK, but it was easy both to enter my flight information and pay with a U.S. credit card. A U.S.-based option for offsetting carbon emissions from home energy use, cars, and travel is NativeEnergy.

For more information on reducing your carbon footprint, see Carbon Footprint.