I’m a skeptic by nature. So when I first started hearing about carbon offsets, my initial reaction was that they must just be a sugar pill, an empty way to make people feel less guilty about their carbon-intensive lifestyles. But I’m becoming more of a believer, and here’s why. Carbon offsets are a way to counterbalance your carbon emissions by investing in solutions such as wind energy. You purchase the “offset,” and your money goes toward developing new wind farms or preserving rainforest acreage or capturing methane. There are several companies and nonprofits that do this, in varying ways.

Riding a bicycle is usually a great way to reduce fossil fuel emissions. But that's not necessarily true if you're a cyclist on a racing team, driving around the country to compete. That's why Clif Bar is trying to offset the fossil fuel use of its cycling team by buying wind farm credits – and offering the public a chance to buy them too.

Are you feeling pangs of guilt about your contribution to the growing climate crisis? Here are three easy, affordable things you can do to create your own Personal Kyoto