Last month my husband and I flew to Detroit to spend Thanksgiving with his family, and this week we're flying to Los Angeles to have Christmas with mine. Should we bother with carbon-offset programs to make up for all that time in the air, or are those things just a racket?

In principle, carbon offsets which pay for projects that reduce or sequester greenhouse-gas emissions seem like a pretty appealing idea. Sure, they may seem like papal indulgences, allowing the world's wealthy to imagine they can do business as usual without causing environmental harm. But given that everyone will be responsible for some carbon, offsets can serve to undo some of the inevitable damage caused by daily life. And by fixing a monetary value on emissions, they help to concretize the hidden costs of flying, eating meat, or whatever else you're up to.

The popular Wikipedia defines a carbon offset as:

"a financial instrument representing a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Although there are six primary categories of greenhouse gases, carbon offsets are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e). One carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases."

We've described carbon offsetting a little less clinically as "helping someone to do something that they wouldn't otherwise have done, that results in less CO2 emissions than would have happened had you not helped them to do it."  See our relevant FAQ.

How would you improve on these definitions/descriptions?

We are thrilled that we have been ranked #1 in a new white paper published by three independent, sustainability-focused organizations: Bainbridge Graduate Institute, Carbon Concierge, and Social Venture Network. As the top scoring retail offset provider, receiving a 93% overall rating, NativeEnergy is the 'most recommended" of the 14 providers evaluated.

The group's comprehensive process for evaluating carbon offset providers resulted in the development of the Carbon Offset Provider Evaluation Matrix (COPEM), which includes eight essential criteria for evaluating carbon offset providers. The report, which is available online, offers guidance to help businesses, institutions, communities, and individuals choose the offset provider that best meets their needs for high quality carbon offsets.

You can read more at http://www.csrwire.com/News/13679.html.