Carbon footprint calculator
Bearing in mind the fact that the government seems to have just realised that the environment is in danger this week (duh!) this seems like a good time to point this out: http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.html
You can calculate your primary carbon footprint, and then it tells you how many trees you need to plant to offset it. In my case it is three, so I'm thinking of asking for that as a christmas present from someone (£10 per tree). But I'm not sure how much the dwarf cherry tree and 4 shrubs I've planted in the garden count towards that. I'm also going to ask for some more small fruit trees as a christmas pressie, so after that I should be well and truly carbon neutral.
I can't help feeling that carbon offset is a bit of a cheat though. I certainly worry a little about the carbon offset that is offered for plane flights. My concern is that people might just be using it like indulgences to stave off the guilt, while making no effort to cut down on the number of flights they make.
Having said that, I do feel that it would do some good if the airlines offered you carbon offset at the point that you purchase your tickets. That way it would target people who were going to fly anyway, and perhaps it would be taken up by some people who would never have considered carbon offset in the first place.
You can calculate your primary carbon footprint, and then it tells you how many trees you need to plant to offset it. In my case it is three, so I'm thinking of asking for that as a christmas present from someone (£10 per tree). But I'm not sure how much the dwarf cherry tree and 4 shrubs I've planted in the garden count towards that. I'm also going to ask for some more small fruit trees as a christmas pressie, so after that I should be well and truly carbon neutral.
I can't help feeling that carbon offset is a bit of a cheat though. I certainly worry a little about the carbon offset that is offered for plane flights. My concern is that people might just be using it like indulgences to stave off the guilt, while making no effort to cut down on the number of flights they make.
Having said that, I do feel that it would do some good if the airlines offered you carbon offset at the point that you purchase your tickets. That way it would target people who were going to fly anyway, and perhaps it would be taken up by some people who would never have considered carbon offset in the first place.