Travel Green by Carbon Offsetting

Written by Kajsa Ingelsson • July 26, 2019
@ Go Green

Maybe you already been hearing about carbon offsetting. It’s been getting a bad rep lately as many are saying that this is just a way for big polluting companies to continue their business without implementing real change.

And while there might lay a lot of truth in this, that argument/fact shouldn’t stop you from offsetting your personal travels. I said this before and I’ll keep saying it forever because it’s a fundamental truth; every change in society started with individual action.

“Ok but hey slow down, what does carbon offsetting really mean?” you might ask yourself right about now.

Put simply, offsetting means buying carbon credits equivalent to your carbon impact. This means you compensate for every tonne of CO2 you emit by ensuring there is one tonne less in the atmosphere. Because one unit of CO2 has the same climate impact wherever it is emitted, the benefit is the same wherever it is reduced or avoided too.

A little backdrop knowledge here; climate change = greenhouse gasses that traps heat in our environment. The most prevalent and well-known gases that fall within the umbrella category of greenhouse gases are that of carbon-dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Both are linked very closely to human driven activities and technologies; carbon dioxide being linked to fossil fuels and methane to animal agriculture.

Carbon offsetting is a way to reduce the emissions that you can’t. It both helps to combat global climate change as well as caring for local communities. In many instances providing much needed employment, health improvement, biodiversity and broad social benefits to impoverished communities. 

How to Offset:

  1. Calculate / measure your carbon footprint
  2. Start reducing your carbon emissions
  3. Offset any remaining or unavoidable carbon emissions via third party organizations.

These are a few of the organizations I have used to offset my traveling;

While carbon offsetting might not the perfect solution, it’s a hell of a lot better than to stick our heads in the sand and continue like business as usual. If we aim towards a conscious zero-waste and plant-based lifestyle, we are leading by example and inspiring people to follow suit. In a year, you have the possibility to reach and impact 80,000 people!

Just imagine all that people filling up stadium, and you’ll understand why I keep talking about individual action and that what you do matter so very much 🦄

Go forth and #bethechange my 🍯🐝

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