Carbon Neutral

With the rise in global warming and weather catastrophes, environmental safety is becoming a major concern both for individuals and large corporations. One viable solution being enforced is carbon offsetting, which encourages people to compensate for their carbon output. The goal is for people and companies to become "carbon neutral". Read on to learn more about the carbon neutral philosophy and how it can help the environment.

What is carbon neutral?

A person or company that successfully offsets its carbon output is said to be carbon neutral. That is, you need to remove as much carbon from the air as you put in, so you don't contribute to the decline of atmospheric quality. To do this, you buy "carbon offsets" from another entity that creates and promotes alternative energy sources.

Why should we be carbon neutral?

Most of the things we do – from driving to work to turning on our computers – releases a host of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Almost all everyday devices are powered by carbon-rich fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal. Burning these fuels produces carbon gas, which damages the ozone layer and pollutes the air. By removing the carbon you put in, you can continue using everyday devices without damaging the environment, and helping to promote safer power sources.

How does carbon neutral work?

The simplest way to stop air pollution is to use alternative power, such as solar energy and windmills. However, these sources are expensive and hard to sustain, especially in residential areas. This is where carbon offsetting comes in.

When you buy carbon offsets, your money goes to a project that helps curb damage to the atmosphere, reducing future emissions to make up for the greenhouse gases emitted today. Tree-planting is currently the most common offset activity.

Other offset services build alternative energy sources such as solar parks or wind farms. These projects aim to raise enough money to make alternative energy more available, and thus more affordable. In Denmark, the effort has produced a large offshore wind farm that includes 72 wind turbines, which can power up to 110,000 homes with clean, carbon-free energy. Eventually, such resources may replace fossil fuels completely, and restore the atmosphere to its original state.

How do you buy carbon offsets?

First, you need to know your carbon footprint, or how much carbon you release into the air. There are several carbon footprint calculators online that determine your footprint based on your daily activities. These apply only to households, however. Large companies usually have to contact an offset service directly.

Next, you get in touch with a carbon offset provider, which will use your money for emission-reduction projects. This can be a small tree-planting group, or an economic tradeoff firm. There are two types of offsets you can buy:

Certified carbon credits. These offsets are based on international climate exchanges. They are fully traceable and credited to your company's name, which means they get passed on to other companies to encourage them to take the same steps. When you buy certified carbon credits, the carbon compensation will already have taken effect as you make the purchase.
Voluntary carbon credits. These projects focus on minor projects such as tree-planting. While their effects take a little longer, they offer added ecological and humanitarian benefits. Trees offer a long-term solution because they inhale carbon dioxide and replace it with healthy oxygen. They also encourage biodiversity and provide a safe habitat for wildlife.




	Carbon Neutral With the rise in global warming and weather catastrophes, environmental safety is becoming a major concern both for individuals and large corporations. One viable solution being enforced is carbon offsetting, which encourages people to compensate for their carbon output. The goal is for people and companies to become "carbon neutral". Read on to learn more about the carbon neutral philosophy and how it can help the environment. What is carbon neutral? A person or company that successfully offsets its carbon output is said to be carbon neutral. That is, you need to remove as much carbon from the air as you put in, so you don't contribute to the decline of atmospheric quality. To do this, you buy "carbon offsets" from another entity that creates and promotes alternative energy sources. Why should we be carbon neutral? Most of the things we do – from driving to work to turning on our computers – releases a host of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Almost all everyday devices are powered by carbon-rich fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal. Burning these fuels produces carbon gas, which damages the ozone layer and pollutes the air. By removing the carbon you put in, you can continue using everyday devices without damaging the environment, and helping to promote safer power sources. How does carbon neutral work? The simplest way to stop air pollution is to use alternative power, such as solar energy and windmills. However, these sources are expensive and hard to sustain, especially in residential areas. This is where carbon offsetting comes in. When you buy carbon offsets, your money goes to a project that helps curb damage to the atmosphere, reducing future emissions to make up for the greenhouse gases emitted today. Tree-planting is currently the most common offset activity. Other offset services build alternative energy sources such as solar parks or wind farms. These projects aim to raise enough money to make alternative energy more available, and thus more affordable. In Denmark, the effort has produced a large offshore wind farm that includes 72 wind turbines, which can power up to 110,000 homes with clean, carbon-free energy. Eventually, such resources may replace fossil fuels completely, and restore the atmosphere to its original state. How do you buy carbon offsets? First, you need to know your carbon footprint, or how much carbon you release into the air. There are several carbon footprint calculators online that determine your footprint based on your daily activities. These apply only to households, however. Large companies usually have to contact an offset service directly. Next, you get in touch with a carbon offset provider, which will use your money for emission-reduction projects. This can be a small tree-planting group, or an economic tradeoff firm. There are two types of offsets you can buy: Certified carbon credits. These offsets are based on international climate exchanges. They are fully traceable and credited to your company's name, which means they get passed on to other companies to encourage them to take the same steps. When you buy certified carbon credits, the carbon compensation will already have taken effect as you make the purchase. Voluntary carbon credits. These projects focus on minor projects such as tree-planting. While their effects take a little longer, they offer added ecological and humanitarian benefits. Trees offer a long-term solution because they inhale carbon dioxide and replace it with healthy oxygen. They also encourage biodiversity and provide a safe habitat for wildlife.
	homepage development \| climate friendly business \|what is carbon neutral \| green resources \| contacts