The effects of global warming on the environment are already evident. Glaciers are melting, severe storms are becoming more frequent, and animals are being forced out of their natural habitats. Left unchecked, rising temperatures will have disastrous consequences for our planet, including intense heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and the extinction of species.

While a variety of gases cause heat to be trapped, carbon dioxide is responsible for approximately 65% of human induced global warming.  Even if we take whatever steps we can to reduce, recycle and reuse now, and make a commitment that our next car will run on biofuel and that we will fit solar panels to our house, etc., most individuals or organizations endeavoring to go carbon neutral will be left with a residue of current emissions. Now we have two choices – we can ignore them or we can offset.

Ignoring them might avoid having to think through the issues around offsetting, but it is not going to help the planet. On the other hand, offsetting them will ensure that as long as we continue to produce emissions, they will be counterbalanced by a saving or sequestering somewhere else. It is the environmentally responsible thing to do.

Our carbon offsets allow you take action on global warming now, hastening the transition to a clean energy future. Believe it or not, we would rather see you reducing your emissions to zero yourself than buying our offsets. However, none of us can stop emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere altogether, and offsetting is meant to address those remaining emissions. Buying carbon offsets means that those emissions that you produce are balanced by the reductions achieved by our offset projects, leaving you with zero net emissions. 

In order to ensure that the reductions really happen, and are triggered by your investment, it’s important to purchase high quality, audited, additional (why does additonality matter?) offsets like ours. Have a look at the projects your offset purchase funds through Greatest Planet. A good deal all around, isn’t it?