Fly guilt-free, buy offsets at the airport

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: SFO travellers is still being negotiated, McDougal said, but figures on the company’s web-based carbon calculator suggest that a two-hour trip uses about 1,000 lb of carbon dioxide and the cost to offset that would be about $4. Offsetting a trip to Europe would cost $36.

“It’s definitely not going to double your ticket or anything,” he said. “It’s going to end up being a small percentage of your total air fare.”

Under the agreement, the airport will provide the kiosks and 3Degrees will supply the software and the certified carbon offsets being sold, and will operate the programme. Kiosks will be located at the customer service desk in Terminal 3, with the others in the two wings of the International Terminal. 3Degrees will get 30% of each purchase with the rest going to carbon-reduction projects. The agreement calls for a one-year programme with a possible extension to two years.

“The carbon kiosks will not only reduce global warming,” Ballard said, “they will serve an educational function. It’s something interesting to do while you’re killing time at the airport.”

Given the innovative nature of the venture, airport officials said they don’t expect 3Degrees will turn a profit—at least not at the outset. McDougal said it’s impossible to predict how many passengers will want to make what is essentially a voluntary contribution to compensate for their impacts of their air travel. But he hopes the programme takes off. “Hopefully it will be successful,” he said. “But if we just have a lot of people stop and read the information and think about it, that’s something we’ve accomplished.”