How to Buy Carbon Credits

As verified by thousands of scientists all over the world, human-produced carbon dioxide is contributing to climate change that is threatening the health of the world. The first practical response is to eliminate as many carbon-producing activities as possible. The second step is to offset the emissions we cannot eliminate by purchasing carbon credits, which means you are making an investment in carbon reduction projects.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Calculate your carbon footprint. You can search online under “calculate my carbon footprint” and find dozens of websites that ask you a series of questions to determine just how much carbon dioxide your lifestyle is emitting into the atmosphere. It’s this number that determines how many carbon credits you need to buy to offset your carbon-producing activity. Every carbon calculator is different. Ideally, you can find one such as the Nature Conservancy’s Online Carbon Calculator, which accounts for home energy, driving, flying, food, diet, recycling and waste.

2. Check with your utility company to see if they have a carbon offsetting program. You can deduct any carbon credits you purchase through your electric company from the overall carbon footprint you offset with an online carbon credit provider.

3. Decide on the types of projects that want your carbon credit purchase to support. Choose from tree planting projects to recreate natural forests and prevent deforestation; renewable energy projects, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric and biofuel; energy conservation projects aimed at reducing the overall demand for energy and methane projects, using the methane from farms, landfills and other industrial waste to create energy.

4. Research carbon credit providers. Visit EcoBusinessLinks, a website that compares carbon credit providers based on your non-profit status, carbon credit prices, the project types that your investment will support, your ability to designate your investment to a specific project and independent product certification, meaning that a third party has determined that your investment will offset emissions.

5. Make yourself carbon neutral by purchasing your carbon credits from the carbon credit provider of your choice.

6. Reduce your carbon footprint so that you can buy fewer carbon credits next time. Replace all of your incandescent light bulbs with CFL’s. Join a carpool. Buy locally-grown organic food. Install solar panels. Start your own compost pile in the backyard. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Tips & Warnings

• For every ton of carbon dioxide you emit into the air, you can purchase a carbon credit for between $5 and $50 to offset the emission. Price varies with each carbon credit provider, so research first and choose wisely.
• Carbon credits should not be treated as free tickets to pollute. Ideally, they’re purchased after you have reduced or eliminated as many carbon-producing activities as is practically possible.

Resources

• Nature Conservancy Online Carbon Calculator
• EcoBusiness Survey of Carbon Credit Providers

[Sweetfilter]

on 10/11/2009 A better investment would be in bio-fuel produced by algae grown from coal fired power waste gases. Adding solar and wind power to support these eforts would only add to the circle of life.

[greenchoices4me]

on 6/15/2009 The three main causes of global warming are deforestation, poor agricultural practices resulting in soil erosion, and burning of fossil fuels. There are gases other that CO2 involved in climate change, and so is our built environment which absorbs and retains solar heat energy. Nature recycles carbon through plants and stores it in plants and in the soil. We have been disrupting its processes for over a hundred years with no letup. Try biodiversity, conserve forest land, do sustainable agriculture, use less, conserve more, buy offsets. It is within our reach to leave a healthy planet to our children and grandchildren. Think in terms of a whole system. Just planting trees is not enough. Try biochar. Look it up.

[lorigist]

on 5/10/2009 Great article, thanks!

[kenl123]

on 3/9/2009 It's always good to recycle and reduce waste. However, the whole "carbon footprint" concept is a monumental hoax being perpetrated by politicians and environmentalists who don't know the facts. There is NOT a scientific consensus on the causes of climate change. Thousands of scientists have rejected the concept. In fact the earth has been cooling at least since 2001. It has been proven that CO2 (carbon) does NOT cause global warming. The recent increase in CO2 has occurred AFTER the cyclical warming trends. Even if CO2 does have an effect, it is very small - much less than water vapor. Certain promoters of the hoax are profiting from the hysteria and from things like carbon credits and alternative energy. Carbon is NOT a pollutant. It is essential for life, and in fact promotes plant growth. Carbon credits are a scam.

[AbbyNormal]

on 8/7/2008 Well said, jb98!