Ever since Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Documentary, the term carbon offsets has played a major supporting, if not starring, role in the drive to derail global warming. Most travelers know that the use of fossil fuels to power planes, boats and taxis and to light, cool and heat hotel rooms increases the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Some Internet-based entrepreneurs have begun offering travelers carbon offsets as a way to undo some of that damage.

The process works like this: you visit the offset provider’s Web site, where the amount of emissions generated by your chosen mode of transportation—long-haul flights, cruises or road trips—is converted into a dollar figure, which you contribute. That contribution (often tax deductible) may then be invested in one or more projects that purport to offset the greenhouse gases your trip will produce— the development of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power; programs to increase energy efficiency; and reforestation in the United States and other nations. Alternatively, your offset money may buy Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), also known as green tags, each of which represents one megawatt hour (mWh) of renewable energy production. The tags don’t directly reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, but they do support alternative energy suppliers, a good idea, since 98 percent of the energy consumed in the United States comes from non-renewable sources. The trick is to find a credible provider that invests wisely and is third-party verified. Dozens of nonprofit and for-profit options are available, including Native Energy (www.nativeenergy.com), the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (www.b-e-f.org) and MyClimate (www.my-climate.com).

Even luxury hotels are starting to see green. The Leading Hotels of the World just announced that it is partnering with Sustainable Travel International (STI), a respected carbon-offset provider that invests in friendly community-development and renewable energy projects worldwide. If you reserve through Leading Green Initiative (www.lhwgreen.com) or mention the program to a telephone associate, Leading Hotels will donate 50 cents for each night of your visit to STI—without raising your room rate to compensate. If you’d like Indagare to explore a partnership with a reputable offset company so that your travel can be carbon neutral, let us know by sending an email to info@indagare.com.