BE OFFSET-WISE

Leadership needed! Government must step up: Regulation must be established.

Tips for buying cabon offsets
Jackie Crosby, April 1, 2007 (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

WHO
Consumers, sellers and evaluators of carbon offsets

WHAT
Carbon offsets are purchases or investments made to balance the consumption of hydrocarbon-based energy like gasoline, coal or natural gas. Donations can be made to organizations doing reforestation or installing non-gashouse producing renewable energies like solar or wind. Companies are developing in-house branches to provide such options or are touting companies dedicated to the service.

WHEN
Whenever carbon offsets are sold.

WHERE
Over-the-counter or on-line.

WHY
For carbon offsets, there are no uniform industry standards and little government oversight. Organizations such as Green-e and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance are said to provide reputable audit and certification. Questions such as whether the project would get done whether or not the offset was invested and how much of the offset money is wasted in administrative fees are relevant.

QUOTES
Clean-Air, Cool-Planet
Energy Information Administration
Green-e
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Trace Commission