In a swath of green fury, there is a whole new market emerging which most consumers have heard of but for the most part, have no clue if it will ever become relevant to their daily lives.   To some degree none of us know what role we will individually play in our march toward a low carbon economy, yet there are signals locally and globally that the carbon market may ultimately have significant influence in our daily choices.  The question is  - who will guide us in the adoption of practices that will make a real difference?

To a certain degree, it is probably too early to ask this question.  The early days of the mobile phone industry were governed by industry wide regulation, distribution and demand.  Demand drove consumers to purchase despite mass confusion over cost protocol and brand authorities didn’t emerge until the market had stabilized and penetrated the most sought after consumer – the teen.  It took us over a decade to begin to feel like we understood how to evaluate “Rollover minutes” against “Nights and Weekends Free” against the “Family Plan” (although one could argue we still don’t know why we’re locked into two year contracts).

So, it’s likely that we are ten even twenty years before we truly begin to understand what the outcomes the current administration’s carbon initiatives locally and abroad are about as they relate to understanding our role in reducing the carbon in the atmosphere.  This is an operational challenge that will be driven by regulation not demand.   Yet there seems to be market activity that signals this evasive concept-commodity could, and actually is, being productized at a mass consumer level.

Many airlines now offer individuals the opportunity to purchase carbon offsets at the point of their ticket purchase and online calculators such as the one found at Terrapass provide individuals and businesses the opportunity to purchase carbon credits to offset their output.  Termed “offsets” these credits are created by businesses reducing their prescribed carbon output or by organizations naturally protecting sequestered carbon.  Most of us have begun to hear the term “offset” but will readily admit we have no idea what it really means, let alone cite the “standard” that our carbon purchase has been verified against (which would indicate its value).

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I have a suggestion: Take a look at LiveNeutral.

Why? Well on a basic, financial level, they are a non-profit. And? And that means that offsets purchased through them are tax deductible. More, you say? The resulting lower overhead means better priced offsets as compared to similar for-profit companies offering similar quality offsets.

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Cooler’s solution is actually two: one aimed at retailers and manufacturers that want to reduce their carbon footprint and better appeal to customers looking for eco-friendly businesses, and one aimed directly at consumers who want to shop online in a way that doesn’t increase greenhouse gas emissions.

The business option, called Cooler Complete, provides stores and factories with access to a carbon calculator that Cooler says is the first of its kind. The calculator sums up the full emissions impact of any good or service from the point it is created to the point it is sold. Cooler Complete also helps businesses create a roadmap for reducing emissions and buying offsets that support renewable energy or pollution prevention projects. And it provides a customized marketing plan to help client businesses spread the word about their efforts.

"Fifty percent of U.S. consumers would rather do business with companies that are working to reduce global warming," says Michel Gelobter, the founder and executive vice president of Cooler. "Nearly 40 percent of the average American’s global warming impact comes from everyday consumer products and services."

For the ordinary shopper who’s concerned about that impact, Cooler has another new offering: ClimateCooler.com. The consumer-targeted website lets you buy more than 8 million products from more than 400 businesses — from 123inkjets.com to Zones.com — and automatically offsets the global warming impact of each purchase.

It works like this: you click "buy" (paying the same price anyone else would pay going directly to the retailer) and ClimateCooler.com calculates the impact of your purchase. It then returns a portion of the price you paid back to the store, which uses the money to offset your climate impact.

The ClimateCooler.com people offer this example: Buy a cell phone at a "real" store, and you’ve just contribued almost 390 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Buy the same phone online, and your carbon emissions drop to about 370 pounds, because online shopping is more efficient. Buy the same phone through ClimateCooler.com, and your emissions are zero, because Cooler’s calculated offsets will compensate for your impact entirely.

It sounds almost too good to be true, but Cooler’s calculator has already won the approval of green groups like Environmental Defense, the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, as well as that of The Gold Standard (an offset company).

Better yet: it’s here — dare I say it? — just in time for the holidays! (Sorry … they’re coming fast!)

Image credit: Mike Edwards, Wikimedia Commons

By calculating your own carbon footprint you’ll be able to roughly find out how many metric tons of CO2 you generate based on your lifestyle. A carbon footprint calculator factors in things like where you live, what type of building you reside in, what method of transportation you use, how much energy you use and where it is generated. Some will also ask for specific kilowatt-per-hour usage, while others ask if you buy local food and how much waste you produce.

There are a number of carbon footprint calculators out there and some are more detailed than others. Your results will vary depending on the amount of information you are asked to input, and are based on national and international averages.

Once you calculate, see if you can find ways to reduce your carbon footprint. There may be some short car trips that you can walk or bike instead; or simple measures you can take around the house to reduce your overall energy consumption, such as turning off lights in unoccupied rooms or unplugging electronics and appliances when not in use.

For the things you can’t reduce or eliminate, you can purchase carbon credits to offset the rest from companies such as TerraPass or CarbonFund.

Find out what your carbon footprint is with one of these calculators:

Environmental Defense

An Inconvenient Truth

The Nature Conservancy

World Resources Institute

Further information from Green Options:

Green Family Values: What’s Your Child’s School’s Carbon Footprint?

Carbon Offsetters Not Always Taking Easy Way Out

Environmental Defense: Inside a Carbon Calculator

Introduction to Carbon Credits

Options for Calculating Your Carbon Offsets

Daily Tip: Offset Your Summer Travel

Photo: Green OptionsLast week, Yahoo! launched a new site that can calculate how much your carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions go down when you try their energy saving tips. It's fun to use, and I especially appreciate the snazzy interactive features because I know how hard people worked to build it. My colleagues and I provided the Yahoo! design team with the data they use in their calculations.

I hope you'll visit the site to see how simple changes in your house and car can save energy and lower emissions. But first, let me take you behind the scenes to the complicated world of carbon calculation.

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Launched in conjunction with Earth Day, GreenerChoices.org features some of your typical Consumer Reports fare (with a green twist) including green buying guides for appliances, cars, electronics, food and home goods. For example, the computers page gives background information on toxics in electronics and e-waste stats, in addition to tips on buying new and whether you should "fix it or nix it".

Another draw is the Global Warming Solutions Center that lays out simple solutions everyone can take at home and on the road to reduce the individual carbon footprint.

Most of the static information on GreenerChoices.org is contained within a blog, so unless you're clicking on featured tips from the home page, there are a couple of extra clicks involved to get to the heart of some of the information. Other links navigate away from the consumer reports site altogether. But overall, GreenerChoices.org does serve as a green guide 101 with many helpful tips, information and things to think about for consumers who want to make some greener choices.

Via GreenBiz; Consumer Reports