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You may have heard the term “carbon footprint,” but you may not be entirely clear what that means.

The average American household is responsible for at least 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually through energy use at home and for transportation. Add in air travel, lawn and recreational vehicles and the average American household puts 24 tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year.

This amount of carbon and other gases that contribute to global warming is considered your carbon footprint.

Many people are now offsetting their carbon footprint with carbon credits, also known as green tags or wind certificates. These are a cost-effective and simple way to reduce your carbon footprint or even wipe it out, if you wish.

By offsetting the excesses in your carbon footprint, you become a part of the solution to climate change by supporting the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. These credits or “green tags” go to fund the purchase of clean power or offset projects such as energy efficiency or reforestation. When a wind turbine puts electricity into the grid, the cost of generating that power (including the capital costs to build the wind turbine) are slightly higher than simply burning fossil fuels, at least at present. Green tags pay for the difference, and the electricity generated by wind is exactly the same as “dirty electricity” generated by fossil-fuel burning plants. You can buy them at www.3degreesinc.com.

Residential appliances, including heating and cooling equipment and water heaters, consume 90% of all energy used in the U.S. residential sector. Also.. Fossil fuels are depleted at a rate that is 100,000 times faster than they are formed.

All it takes is a few minutes and a few dollars.

• First, evaluate your carbon use. You can find a carbon calculator at www.carbonfund.org that will give you an idea how much you and your family are contributing to global warming.
• Buy green tags to compensate. The average family will pay less than $100 a year.

Reducing your energy usage reduces fossil fuel consumption and saves you money on your power bills.

Here are a few simple ways:

• Swap out your four most often used incandescent light bulbs for energy saving compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Unplug any “always on” appliances and electronics that consume electricity even when they’re not in use. The biggest culprits: cell phone charges, televisions and stereos.
• Fill cracks around doors and windows to prevent air loss, reducing your costs for heat and air conditioning
• Sometimes simply planting a tree in a strategic southern location can be the solution to too much heat coming in your windows in summer. Or, if you live in a cold place, you might consider pruning or even cutting down a tree that prevents sun from coming in and warming your home during the winter months.
• Invest less than $100 in a programmable thermostat.
• Buy EnergyStar™ appliances when you need new ones.

www.3degreesinc.com

http://www.carbonfund.org

http://www.cleanandgreen.us