| What are carbon offsets? | | | | Passport kiosks, where one can voluntarily purchase |
| Carbon offsets are the new way to undo the damage | | | | offsets in order to compensate for the carbon dioxide |
| done from carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas | | | | their particular flight will produce. |
| emissions that have caused negative effects on our | | | | Basically, you enter in your flight information, starting |
| environment. Basically, an offset is something that is | | | | point and destination, and the kiosk will calculate the |
| paid into for the use on projects that will potentially help | | | | amount of carbon dioxide in pounds your particular |
| offset the damage. Such projects could be wind | | | | participation in the flight will create. |
| farms, hydroelectric dams, destruction of landfill | | | | You can then purchase the amount of offsets ($13.50 |
| methane, or reforestation projects, to name a few. | | | | per ton) needed to cover the portion for which you |
| Carbon offsets are measured in metric tons where | | | | are responsible. To put his into perspective, a round-trip |
| one offset represents the reduction or offset of the | | | | from SFO to New York's JFK will cost $23.42. |
| damage caused by one metric ton of carbon dioxide | | | | Currently, the money will go to a reforestation project |
| or other greenhouse gas. | | | | in Mendocino County and to a bio-diesel fueling project |
| Carbon offsets sold at SFO | | | | in San Francisco. |
| Typically, larger corporations and governments buy | | | | The future of offset kiosks |
| offsets in order to meet the terms of compliance caps | | | | There are skeptics and critics of these offsets and |
| from the amount of carbon dioxide they are permitted | | | | the projects they fund, but at this time, at least those |
| to emit. But there is also a smaller market for carbon | | | | who want to contribute to projects to offset the |
| offsets-the individual who wants to offset their own | | | | negative environmental impact their carbon footprint |
| personal carbon footprint. | | | | creates have a convenient place to do so right at the |
| The San Francisco Airport (SFO) is the first airport to | | | | San Francisco Airport and maybe in the future we will |
| provide three kiosks, which they have named Climate | | | | see more of these carbon offset kiosks pop up. |