The idea that you can financially redeem yourself from transgressions against the planet certainly is exciting. But there's more to carbon offsets than buying your way out of trouble.

Unfortunately, carbon offsets are not the do-all end-all to the climate crises or any of the Earth's other problems. There really is nothing better you can do for the planet than reduce your carbon footprint and generally consume less.

But what about the things you can't, or just really, really, don't want, to cut out of your life? Offsetting your carbon output is a great way to actually do something about some of your minor extravagances and most of your by-products of living as an on-the-gridhuman being in the 21 st Century.

Pricing for carbon offsetting can vary by a number of factors. Of course, the biggest factor in figuring out an appropriate amount to spend is how much you need to offset. Most carbon offsetters worth their weight in carbon-free atmospheric air will begin by helping you to calculate your emissions, and then figure out appropriate pricing based on your consumption, where you live, and what non-quantifiable (dollar-wise) carbon offsetting you already do.

But wait! There's more. Not all carbon offsetting programs are the same—in fact there are three distinct types. CO2 offset programs sell you offsets by weight. These programs literally remove harmful carbons from the atmosphere by planting trees and developing forestation. In the most common offsetting program, one buys credits (renewable energy credits or RECs) that represent an amount of money spent on renewable energy resources and development. REC programs are valuable in building up businesses, organizations, and other infrastructure that combat carbon pollution, but they do not directly eliminate the pollution that already exists. Lastly, there are Cap and Trade systems, which are in many ways the most complicated and hard to keep track of. In this system, the selling party has previously agreed to reduce carbon emissions by a certain amount and is rewarded for any additional reductions with certificates that may be sold for consumers. The biggest shortcoming of Cap and Trade offsetting is that certificates representing the same amount of reduced pollution may sometimes be sold to multiple parties, which means that you might end up "offsetting" carbon that somebody else has already offset. On the other hand, Cap and Trade systems provide large corporate entities real financial incentive to reduce their carbon emissions by the maximum possible amount.

CARBON OFFSET CHEAT SHEET
	TerraPass Emphasis on conservation. Website urges: “Drive less. Turn down the thermostat. Buy locally produced goods.” RECs. Audited by Center for Research Solutions. Endorsed by David Suzuki. Official Site [1]
	Native Energy Native Energy says, “Reducing the amount of energy we use is critically important in the effort to stop global warming… But it isn’t enough.” RECs. Endorsed by An Inconvenient Truth. Official Site [2]
	Green Tags “One Green Tag represents enough renewable energy to offset a typical home for a month with clean wind and solar power.” Once a year buyers receive certificates stating what type of renewable energy resources their spending went toward. RECs. Run by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Official Site [3]
	Carbon Fund “Reduce what you can, Offset what you can’t.” Certificate sent within two weeks of purchase. Supports reforestation as well as renewable energy usage (CO2 offset and RECs), primarily through trees and wind farms. Endorsed by Environmental Defense. Official Site [4]
	Chicago Climate Exchange America’s biggest and most well-known Cap and Trade offset seller. Audited by the National Association of Securities Dealers. Founder named a “Hero of the Planet” by Time magazine. Official Site [5]

More LIME's Guide to Buying [5]