{"id":11254,"date":"2021-09-29t18:22:06","date_gmt":"2021-09-29t18:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/voluntary-offsetting-in-air-travel-a-carbon-footprint-fix\/"},"modified":"2021-09-29t18:22:06","modified_gmt":"2021-09-29t18:22:06","slug":"voluntary-offsetting-air-travel-carbon-footprint-fix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/voluntary-offsetting-air-travel-carbon-footprint-fix\/","title":{"rendered":"voluntary offsetting in air travel: a carbon footprint fix?"},"content":{"rendered":"
by julia maccary<\/strong><\/p>\n united airlines offers a quick fix to neutralize your carbon emissions for a trip from chicago to los angeles and back: $4.60 in carbon offsets. <\/p>\n the round-trip economy ticket costs approximately $200, and the flights emit somewhere in the range of 0.46 to 1.19 tons of carbon dioxide, as much as 20% of the carbon emitted by the average person across the globe annually and 6% for the average american, according to our world in data<\/a>, an online scientific database and publication.<\/p>\n carbon offsets are monetary investments into global projects that reduce carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to counterbalance one\u2019s emissions. these projects can range from a tree planting program in kenya to a landfill gas capture in ohio, according to terrapass<\/a>, an offset program.<\/p>\n however, the offsets for the same flights could actually cost upwards of $20 with different agencies, according to estimates from other offset calculating websites such as atmosfair<\/a> and myclimate<\/a>. the difference could be due to the type of offset, its quality or its social impact\u2014but it also raises questions on the consumers\u2019 end.<\/p>\n yet what\u2019s more concerning is united\u2019s offsets are \u201cnot even real\u201d in taking carbon directly from the flight out of the air, noted united ceo scott kirby in a capa<\/a> meeting in march 2021. instead of banking on carbon offsets, united will focus on making air travel itself become carbon neutral, said united spokesperson rachael rivas. <\/p>\n carbon offsets have grown in popularity, especially as a means to make up for commercial air travel, which releases more than 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to our world in data.<\/p>\n