Isramart : Pay for that big carbon footprint

Isramart news:
Airline passengers concerned about the environmental impact of their jetting around have found more options in the last three years to shrink their “carbon footprint.”

Now, United Parcel Service, with its international air cargo hub in Louisville, is giving its shipping customers something similar for packages sent throughout the United States.

In the two months since the UPS program began, more than 600 customers have pointed-and-clicked their way on their computers to approve small additional fees to cover the pollution costs of more than 2,500 shipped packages, said Rimas Kapeskas, UPS marketing manager.

UPS has not yet chosen specific projects where the money will go, but typically carbon-offset dollars are invested in efforts to either soak up or destroy heat-trapping gases, or reduce them through greater energy efficiency.

“It's something we put out there to try to satisfy requests from our customers,” Kapeskas said, adding that it helps answer an important question: “What can we do to participate more in environmental sustainability efforts?”

Both types of so-called “carbon offsets” — those for airline passengers and those for package shippers — allow businesses and individuals to make travel or shipping greener.

They are part of a multibillion global carbon-offset market that could grow even bigger if the U.S. Congress passes legislation to curb the pollution blamed on warming the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane.

How to buy offsets

People can buy offsets from the airlines, travel agencies or travel brokers to fund tree planting, capturing methane from landfills, developing renewable energy and other projects to reduce greenhouse gases.

Some companies offer online calculators that let customers know how much carbon dioxide they are helping to avoid.