This isn’t an article for Scientific America.  I am not a scientist.  I am just an average American struggling to make sense of all this talk of global warming and carbon offsets.  To do so I tapped into my somewhat rusty research skills and came up with the following:

Global warming is a much debated topic that even our top political leaders can’t agree on.  Headlines this week show a former vice president and state governor/former candidate battling it out in the newspapers.

Is global warming or isn’t global warming real?

Some folks say the real debate is not IF global warming is occurring but that there is some disagreement as to how fast it is occurring and how much of an impact the activities of humanity have on the speed.  Most agree that change is happening: the polar icecaps are getting smaller, glaciers are dropping off pieces, islands are shrinking and shorelines are creeping up along the coastlines.

Is global warming or isn’t global warming a real threat to the world?

Our planet has undergone numerous climate changes and continues to survive.  It will likely survive another whether it be global warming or ice age.  There are several natural phenomenons are possibly in our future, including the much talked about planetary alignment predicted for 2012.  Science tells us these things go on all the time in the universe.

The real question is global warming a threat to humanity?

Island empires think so.  The question is being raised as to what will become of their government autonomy if they are forced to move their populations to a mainland location?  At least one regime has been purchasing land on a neighboring continent to provide a place to relocate his people when the need arises.

World food banks think so and want people to know that the poor are likely to be the first to feel the impact of climate changes.  They note that this was evident following such disasters as Katrina or the Tsunami of (?).  The poor do not have the means to relocate their families to hotels or travel great distances quickly.

Military leaders predict that new wars will develop only over the relocation of people who are displaced by rising oceans, water and food shortages, disease and shortage caused by force migrations.  As temperatures rise three things are said to happen:

1. Ice caps melt and cause sea levels to rise and flood islands and shoreline communities.
2. Climate changes affect the growing season of local crops.
3. Resources in some formerly artic climates may become more easily accessable.

This third response is also a concern because the increased accessibility to natural resources in areas where access was previously hamper by extreme cold, such as Alaska and the Poles is likely to inspire new strife as nations jockey for control of previously remote and unproductive locations.

No matter which camp is correct on this subject, the political tension is likely to rise as more people become of aware of the debate.  More people like me are taking their heads out of the sand and are starting to take a closer look at the changes around them.  Some like me are slowly waking up to the need to take a stand and ask ourselves some difficult questions.

So what if anything can we do about global warming?

There are two apparent options that are obvious to me, the non-scientist.  We can reduce are contribution by cutting back our use of fossil fuels and waste production, perhaps even changing our eating habits or we can work toward replacing the rain forests that are being depleted by expanding populations.

How do Carbon Offsets Reduce Green House Gases and Slow Global Warming?

So how do carbon offsets fit into this picture?

Carbon offsets are (according to Wikipedia) a financial instrument aimed at the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through the support of projects that produce increased use of renewable energy sources or replenishing vegetation.  Although they are most often purchased by corporations to help keep their greenhouse gases levels in compliance with government regulations, there is also a move toward voluntary individual purchases of carbon offsets to compensate for greenhouse gas emissions.  Our recent trip to Australia is one example where we had the opportunity to pay an carbon offset fee at the time we purchased our air tickets.  Qantas has this option built in to the ticketing process.

Some folks while choosing to maintain their current life styles also calculate the impact their choices have on the environment and purchase carbon offset credits to compensate for their  larger carbon footprint.

Do you know how big your carbon footprint is?  You can calculate your carbon footprint and learn more about buying carbon offsets from the Offset Alliance Newsletter.