{"id":1328,"date":"2020-03-27T11:52:18","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T15:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.whoi.edu\/big\/?p=1328"},"modified":"2020-03-27T12:05:45","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T16:05:45","slug":"a-guide-to-carbon-offsets-a-dose-of-hope-and-skepticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.whoi.edu\/big\/a-guide-to-carbon-offsets-a-dose-of-hope-and-skepticism\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Carbon Offsets: a dose of hope and skepticism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by: Alia Hidayat<\/h2>\n
\"\"

A mosaic of sea ice in the Beaufort Sea, November 2018. Captured by Jessica Dabrowski (MIT-WHOI Joint Program).<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The science is clear. <\/span>Climate change is happening<\/span><\/a>, and it is critical that we act soon to prevent its worst effects.<\/span> What\u2019s less clear, however, is what we <\/span>do <\/span><\/i>about it. If you, like me, are easily overwhelmed by the news and are tied to long carbon-heavy plane or car rides to see your loved ones, sometimes that involves laying on the floor in a ball of stress.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We are constantly battling the feeling that there is nothing to be <\/span>done <\/span><\/i>about climate change. This is a dangerous and false mentality. While the biggest progress against climate change will come at institutional and policy levels<\/span> (get involved in local divestment efforts<\/span><\/a> and advocate for national<\/a> and local climate policies<\/a>!), this is not to say that our choices as consumers do not matter. Our first and foremost weapon against carbon emissions should be reduction if you are able: drive less, eat less red meat, take fewer plane rides, buy less high-energy products, etc. But what do you do when you find yourself no longer willing or able to give up your carbon consumption? <\/span>One after-the-fact option is carbon offsets.<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Carbon offsets are a way for individuals or businesses to fund projects that remove carbon from the air \u2013 essentially paying to alleviate some of your carbon footprint. Often, we imagine that this means planting trees or the prevention of deforestation, but recently many of these programs have expanded to fund non-forestry related projects. For example, many projects reduce global carbon by funding fuel-switching, replacement of oil stoves, alternative energy sources, or methane gas capture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In addition to being a way to reach carbon neutrality, <\/span>offsets can also provide social good.<\/b> Often, they can result in fuel-independence and a source of income to communities that would otherwise rely on the destruction of their natural resources. For example, a carbon offset project providing a family with a cheaper and more efficient way to cook and heat their home is not only reducing carbon emissions, but also giving them more financial independence. This is especially important for poor communities, which climate change is projected to disproportionately harm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While the majority of carbon offsets are bought by companies to offset their pollution in order to meet regulations or to be more appealing to climate-conscious consumers, there is also a sizeable individual voluntary offset market \u2013 these are individuals like you and me who are buying offsets for our personal footprints.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You may be thinking, \u201ca way to balance out my carbon emissions without leaving my house or changing my lifestyle? Is this too good to be true?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In some ways, yes.<\/b> Not to say that these programs are not worthwhile, but there are several common issues with carbon offsets that consumers should be aware of when navigating the many programs that do this service.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gauging effectiveness<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How does one identify a high-quality offset program? Two main terms are brought up when judging the effectiveness of a carbon offset project – additionality and leakage. Let\u2019s break down the jargon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n