Carbon offsetting is a somewhat controversial subject these days. The idea is good: calculate your carbon footprint, then offset it by purchasing renewable energy credits to reverse the damage. To some however, carbon offsetting seems like an excuse or a permit to pollute. We haven’t seen enough evidence to push us over the fence either way, so we do our best to reduce our footprint all the time, and to offset some unavoidable carbon expenses, such as flying for business. Interested in carbon offsetting? Buy a TerraPass! (http://www.terrapass.com/index.html) TerraPass helps you calculate how much carbon is emitted during your commute to work, your flight home for the Holidays and even by your wedding. To offset the carbon, you buy an appropriately sized TerraPass, which funds clean energy and efficiency projects such as wind farms. These projects result in verified reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The way it works is, TerraPass makes a calculation of the carbon dioxide reduced as a result of the introduction of clean energy by examining the carbon profile of the grid where the energy is produced. For example, if the grid has a carbon profile of 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour (MWh), then 100 MWh of clean energy saves 100,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. So, if you’re flying from Los Angeles to New York, you’ll cover almost 5,000 miles and be personally responsible for emitting almost 2,000 pounds of CO2. A $10 TerraPass will offset that flight. Wondering if your money actually goes where it should? TerraPass is audited by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions. These audits verify purchases made by TerraPass and help to ensure transparency and accountability. Remember, carbon offsets aren’t a “get out of jail free” card, but they are available to help you reduce your impact when you need them.