WestJet offers CO2 emission offsets free of charge

[steveluscher]

Through a partnership with Offsetters, WestJet has agreed to "invest part of your normal ticket costs to offset the climate impacts of your travel," at no extra cost to you, the flier.

Click here for information.

[Boo Radley]

Thanks steveluscher for the info. I got your email too but I didn't really get what all this is about
Would you mind explaining it please?

[steveluscher]

Oh Boo, it's a groundbreaking move for a major airline!

It goes like this: as a consequence of your flight, and the fuel it burns, you and your fellow passengers will each be responsible for a certain quantity of carbon dioxide emissions –a gas which is widely considered by those involved in climate research to contribute to global warming (have you seen Al Gore's movie – An Inconvenient Truth?).

That being the case, there is a way to neutralize the impact of your flight. I mean... sometimes you just gotta fly, right?

This is where 'carbon offsets' come into play. We know that there are things you can do to pluck carbon dioxide out of the air – tree planting being one way. We also know that there are ways to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions in the first place –replacing a natural gas furnace with a geothermal furnace being one example. Carbon offsetting programs are set up to coordinate the reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere using either carbon sequestration (plucking CO2 out of the air) or emission prevention.

So! The idea is that you fly with WestJet, your flight pollutes 'x' amount, and WestJet will invest in a carbon offset program that removes or prevents the release of 'x' amount of CO2 on your behalf. Your net effect on atmospheric CO2 levels? Zero!

For a major airliner to have institutionalized the practice of offsetting the carbon emissions incurred by their flights is a huge, huge deal.

Read more:
http://atmosfair.de/index.php?id=9&L=3
http://offsetters.ca/
http://terrapass.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_offset