In the United States carbon offsetting is voluntary.  Typically you calculate your greenhouse gas emissions on a website calculator and come up with a total cost of the burden of your emissions.  You then find a way to own up to these external costs yourself. 

 

Lots of online sites will happily take your money and go plant a tree for you somewhere.  But why do that?  Why not invest in a local renewable energy project?  Once GDH is up and running it will reduce emissions and support sustainable silvaculture and show the rest of New England how to do it.

 

Here’s how you do it:

 

  1. Look at your utility bills (or just make a guess) about how many KwH you use each month.

 

  1. How many miles do you drive each vehicle?  What sort of mileage per gallon do those cars get?

 

  1. How many miles do you travel by air?

 

  1. How many gallons of heating oil or natural gas do you use?

 

  1. Go to a carbon footprint calculator like the one here http://www.carbonfund.org/site/pages/individuals/category/Carbon%20Calculators/?gclid=CJTkp-6f65YCFQQrFQodsktwPQ

and get an idea of what a reasonable offset would be.

 

  1. … then come back and donate it here!

 

Tax-deductible contributions can be made to FCCDC/GDH.  Are you offsetting a business expense?  Consult with your tax advisor to see whether this can be considered ordinary and necessary marketing expenses of your Green Company!

 

 

Mail to: GDH, 3 Grinnell St. Greenfield, MA 01301