Looking for a positive start to the New Year? Read on! If you are one of
the many caring people who feel overwhelmed by the barrage of
distressing news on all fronts - especially issues relating to
environmental concerns and the future of our planet - the Green Corner
wants to tell you about a very practical way to help.

The terms "climate change" and "carbon footprint" have become integral
terms in our frequent discussions of energy and a planet at real risk.
This language is often associated with a sense of an inevitably bleak
future and a not knowing how to combat the problem - beyond the basics
of adjusting thermostats, recycling, buying locally... The issue of our
carbon footprints is BIG, but it turns out that so are the positive
results produced by companies that offer "carbon offsets." Just check
out NativeEnergy, Inc., a Vermont-based company founded in 2000. Their
website is completely inspiring with clear reporting of their work
locally and globally in the goal of reducing greenhouse emissions and
how we as average consumers can participate in the effort.

Here's how it works: by purchasing carbon offsets through NativeEnergy's
Help Build program, you "offset" your own carbon footprint by
contributing to upfront funding of a new or existing carbon-avoidance
project. Large-scale global projects include Ethiopia Clean Water
(water) purification which uses high-tech filters and slow sand
technology to remove waterborne pathogens and simple gravity. This
results in the creation of safe drinking water while reducing CO--2
emissions in communities with extraordinary need. Closer to home in Mid-
dletown, Indiana, NativeEnergy's project focuses on wind energy and is
funding seven wind turbines, one of which is at the Shenandoah School
Corporation campus. Results of this work include 85% of the school's
energy demand being met, and in the first 10 years of operation it will
avoid 13,000 metric tons of carbon emissions and save $1.77 million over
the first 20 years. In addition to the obvious environmental benefit of
this effort is the social component of providing vocational education in
wind technology for high school students.

The user-friendly website provides calculators for businesses and
individuals to determine their carbon output, and there is a "cart" to
purchase offsets in the same way you would make a purchase on Amazon,
for example. It took me less than 10 minutes to explore the website, use
the calculator and determine that my footprint = 19 tons CO-2 @ $14 per
ton with "offset" of $266 a year. You can make a one-time purchase or
set up a low-cost monthly schedule. You can give carbon offsets as a
gift to a person in your life that cares about helping improve the
standard of living for many communities across the world and reducing
greenhouse gas emission in the process.

NativeEnergy has multiple, exciting projects to invest in such as Oka
Trees of Hope, a reforestation project in Montreal, and the Ghana Clean
Water Project. Explore their website and consider making one of the most
valua- ble and important purchases possible. Be in good company with
some of their other clients including Ben & Jerry's, eBay, Stonyfield,
Keurig Green Mountain, and Clif Bar.

The NRDC has a link that explores carbon offsets with their
recommendation being to purchase them and gives ways to make sure the
seller is offering verifiable and enforceable offsets. Just a few other
offset companies are Cool Effect, Inc, TerraPass, and the Vermont-based
Green Mountain Energy Co. These companies also have fabulous career
opportunities.

Have a happy and hopeful New Year!
Your friends at the Green Corner