Offset Your Flight

The San Francisco International Airport is planning to install new kiosks where travelers can purchase carbon offsets for their flights. An offsets company called 3Degrees is teaming with the airport to supply the kiosks. Exact prices are not available yet, but a representative from 3Degrees estimated that you could offset a trip from San Fran to Europe for about $36, so domestic flights in the U.S. should be cheaper.

What about the airlines themselves? Many are selling offsets already through partnerships with non-profit organizations. Jet Blue and Virgin America teamed up with CarbonFund.org to sell offsets to their customers. The donation made to the Carbon Fund supports the Horse Hollow Wind Project in Texas, the Upstate New York Solid Waste Management Project, and the Tensas River Valley Reforestation Project in Louisiana.

Would you buy carbon offsets if there was a kiosk in the airport? Or if it was an easy add-on purchase online? I’m planning to do a lot of traveling this year, and I’m definitely interested. TerraPass is another option for buying offsets. You can calculate your impact by using their carbon footprint calculator to add up your flights you plan to take this year. Even if you don’t buy, it’s cool to figure out your personal impact.