In 2001 The EPA created
The Green Power
Renewable Energy Credit (REC) Market
For 23 Years I didn’t KNOW
I could be Carbon Neutral—
nobody ASKED ME TO,
or TOLD ME HOW
THAT ENDS NOW
My site contains no ads, no merch, no “donate” buttons and captures no user data.
It exists to tell you WHY you should be Carbon Neutral, HOW you can be Carbon Neutral and
free printable stickers to tell everyone who doesn’t know it yet.
AMERICA EMITS A NET OF
5 GIGATONS
(5 Billion Metric Tons)
OF CO2 ANNUALLY
Goal is NET ZERO by 2050 per 2015 Paris Accord
We are NOT meeting the Paris Goal by 26% (gap)
Households can reduce that gap by reducing CO2 production and going Carbon Neutral
UNTIL WE REACH NET CARBON ZERO
CO2 CONCENTRATIONS KEEP RISING
Heat Waves and
Heat Domes
Heat waves and heat domes have become the new normal in the 2020’s. The EPA’s heat wave charts (Climate Change Indicators: Heat Waves | US EPA) tell the story. Heat waves have more than tripled since the 1960’s and so has the length of the heat wave season. Heat waves last almost 50% longer and are 25% more intense than the 1960’s. Stunning data and a tell of the future to come.
Violent Hurricanes
Hurricanes and tropical storms are also increasing under global warming. Tim Knutson (Global Warming and Hurricanes) warns us that future sea level rise will increase coastal inundations, rainfall rates (avg. of 14%), storm intensity (by up to 10%), plus the rapid intensification of storms will increase, and the number of Cat 4 & 5 storms will rise. By some estimates, hurricanes may double in the future:
Global Warming is manmade and is here sooner than anticipated. Mother Nature is coming for us. We did this. We Must Stop it. That starts by knowing what we can do individually to reduce our Carbon Footprints.
A plethora of ways to measure that Footprint are contained on the EPA and Offset sites, below.
More than a dozen companies, listed below, offer offsets to neutralize the remaining CO2 your household produces while we all work to get to Carbon Zero Emissions by 2050.
More than 20 Excellent Eco News sites are offered below to keep you up to date on CO2 mitigation and progress.
HOPE is real and a section on this site to see what can be done to solve this CO2 crisis.
Finally, at the end, are my Logos that you can print off yourself and stick on your front door to state that You Are Carbon Neutral Today! And one that advertises the site name “BeCarbonNeutralToday.com” to be placed anywhere people will see it so they too can join the movement.
FIRST STEP
HOUSEHOLD CARBON REDUCTION
You and I have tremendous influence over our household’s production of CO2. What products to consume, how they’re packaged, used and disposed of, and how we organize our daily lives, significantly affect the amount of CO2 our Households produce. The first step to Carbon Neutrality is to minimize your existing Carbon Footprint by doing things a little differently.
Reduce your waste footprint by recycling all recyclables, composting scraps / leftovers / dirty paper / yard waste, etc., in a yard waste bin or on-site composter. Collect film plastic separately (bread wrappers, bubble wrap, etc.) to be recycled at participating grocery stores, in many areas. As a result, you can reduce your garbage can size, saving money and adding less volume to local landfills, leading to less methane production.
Reduce gasoline use, vehicle maintenance and wear, by using public transportation, bicycling or walking, and combining errands to save trips. When replacing gas tools, go with battery / electric ones that are available, instead. Electric lawn mowers, trimmers, rototillers, air blowers, power washers, chain saws and everything else are available now. They’re quieter, offending neighbors less, and perform better than ever.
Get a programmable thermostat (cost<$50, returned in 1 year). Turn down your thermostat 2 degrees from its usual setting to save home heating fuel and money, in the winter. Wear warm clothing, instead. Insulate, weatherstrip and caulk all air leaks. Turn up your A/C thermostat during the Summer 2 degrees to save power and money.
Switch to sustainable products instead of single use to reduce energy use, landfill waste and methane, plastic pollution and littering. Bring your reusable bags to more than just grocery stores to save on packaging waste.
Give “One Meatless Meal a Week” a try. It will save you money, reduce CO2, introduce you to new recipes, and have positive health effects. Shop at local farmers markets to support local growers, get fresher produce and reduce transportation CO2 because it’s local.
Use water saving shower heads and toilets, reduce the number or length of showers, turn the tap off while shaving or washing your hands, back on to rinse, scrape dishes going into the dishwasher, instead of rinsing them. Water use and energy consumption are connected. Consider buying a bidet seat for your toilet (needs an electrical plug) - results in less toilet paper use, less tree cutting, a heated seat and a cleaner tushy!
Use energy saving fixtures with long lasting LED bulbs to reduce lighting costs by up to 90%. Buy ENERGY STAR when replacing old appliances, sized to your family’s needs. Consider retiring the second refrigerator, in the basement, if you have one.
Reduce, Reuse, repair and recycle. Buy second-hand and donate used goods - Supports Charities and reduces landfill dumping. Rags are now recycled at some Charities like Goodwill Industries (in my area), kept out of landfills and recycled into products like carpet padding, instead.
Food costs a fortune (up 26% in 3 years). Planning your family’s meals and buying groceries accordingly, can save you money, reduce waste, reduce store trips, reduce pressure on landfills and reduce CO2. Experiment with meatless meals, fish/chicken instead of beef/lamb recipes, try new dishes, share recipes with friends when they turn out to be delicious. Instead of a lawn, put in raised beds to grow produce in the summer. Gardening is relaxing and food for the soul, too.
SITES / ARTICLES TO HELP YOU REDUCE
YOUR HOUSEHOLD CARBON FOOTPRINT
Impactful.ninja
Make a positive Impact on the World and Society!
How you can reduce your carbon footprint
The World Wildlife Fund has a few suggestions on how to reduce your household Carbon Footprint.
This is how many plants you need to purify your home, according to science
Ever wondered if plants help your household to breathe easier? Plants ARE beneficial, but require more plants than you think, to clean indoor air. This article gives you the scoop on indoor plants, and 5 of the best to use.
Airthings.com
Understanding CO2 Air Levels inside your home and what they do to your health, mind and sleep.
The 35 Easiest Ways
to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
2018 article about 35 ways to reduce your household Carbon Footprint.
SECOND STEP
FIND YOUR HOUSEHOLD CARBON FOOTPRINT
Once your household’s Carbon Footprint is as low as it will go, measure what’s left. Collect household electrical, home heating and transportation information from utility and gas card bills, as required. Then use the EPA’s calculator. Their methods and formulas are detailed on their site for reference.
Carbon Footprint Calculator | Climate Change | US EPA
The EPA says the average 2.5 person household produces 14 tons of CO2 per year. At 138 million households in America, that’s 1.9 of the 5 billion metric tons of net CO2 produced by America, (38%) each year. That’s under OUR control.
For the average household, it’s too expensive to go Carbon Zero, all at once. But Carbon Neutral is surprisingly low in cost and impacts America’s CO2 Production directly.
For Instance: As soon as you sign up to buy 100% Green Power from your electrical provider, you are getting 100% clean, Carbon Free, Renewable Energy from then on.
Your electric utility increases the amount of clean power they are buying to sell to you, as a result.
The extra we pay goes into new renewable electrical capacity and infrastructure for the electrical grid that is additional to what is already being built.
Your Household carbon footprint is reduced by several tons per year, that will no longer be going into our atmosphere from your electricity use..
CLIMATE INFORMATION WEBSITES
The Daily Climate
Independent Journalism Reporting and Publishing on Climate Change. Reader and Foundation Supported Site, Since 2002
Environmental Health News
Independent journalism reporting and publishing news of climate change. Reader and foundation supported site, since 2002
Solutions - Grist
“Climate. Justice. Solutions” - News Articles from Grist Magazine on Climate Change Solutions. Reader supported Site, since 1999
Canarymedia.com
Clean Energy Journalism for a Cooler Tomorrow - Independent Non-profit News Organization, company and reader supported since 2021
Inside Climate News
Independent, non-partisan news organization established in 2007 for the public and decision makers
Smithsonian Magazine
Articles tagged as Climate Change
Content focused on the Science behind climate change
Climate | Science News
Independent journalism since 1921 providing unbiased coverage of science for people, written by experienced science journalists
EcoWatch
For a healthier planet and life. Provides original content from a team of journalists and provides insights from environmental and business leaders
The Energy Mix
Keeps you up to date with the climate news you need. The Energy Mix publishes a daily news service on climate
Latest | WWF
World Wildlife Fund News site with the latest news
Earth News
News content updated daily - a great source for the latest information.
Treehugger
Sustainability for All. A myriad of ideas for making our lives and homes more sustainable, since 2004. 31 million readers.
The Environmentalist - Greenpeace USA
A place for breaking news and commentary from Greenpeace
Get the Latest Updates from EWG – News
The Environmental Group (EWG) News site to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment
News & Commentary
News and commentary the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Environmental information provided by experts in the field
THIRD STEP
HOW TO NEUTRALIZE
YOUR HOUSEHOLD CARBON FOOTPRINT
YOUR ELECTRIC UTILITY’S GREEN OPTIONS
INFO: Chart: Solar power keeps beating expectations | Canary Media
The easiest way I found to go Carbon Neutral was through my electric/gas utility. Over 50% of America’s electric utility companies have Green Power programs where you can pay a small premium for your electricity and get 100% renewable energy, as a result.
Go to your utility’s web site to access Green Power or Green Options that they offer. Mine had over 6 options including 100% Green Power, Green Power blocks, Carbon Balance, solar choice, community solar and renewable natural gas options (mine’s a gas utility, too).
My choices were to buy 100% Green Power (1 cent/Kwh/mo) - cost $9/month, 5 Green Power Blocks ($2 each) - cost $10/month, and 2 Carbon Balance Blocks ($4.50 each) - cost $9/month, for a total of $28 per month.
CO2 eliminated is 4.5 tons for 100% Green Power, 5 tons for Green Power Blocks and 4.8 tons for the Carbon Balance Blocks. Total 14 tons being removed or avoided for our atmosphere per year.
This adds $28 a month to my utility bill and I’m confident it’s being invested in the electrical grid to improve the 79% that is not 100% renewable, now. The Carbon Balance Blocks are offsetting my natural gas household heating use, by capturing an equal amount of CO2 each year that I produce.
CARBON OFFSET COMPANIES
INFO: https://carboncredits.com/what-is-a-carbon-offset/
INFO: “Want a Carbon Offset with That?” Banks Can Help Consumers Buy Climate Action - WSJ
Carbon Offsets are available from many companies that fund projects directly.
To be effective, they must adhere to the highest standards of certification and auditing under various independent certification programs, as described on their sites, below.
Terrapass (https://terrapass.com/) Manages around 22 carbon offset projects, with an onsite CO2 calculator, and sells carbon offsets at around $8 per 1000 lbs of CO2, payable on a monthly, one time or quarterly schedule. 14 tons of carbon offsets would cost $ 224 per year, or less than $19 per month.
Bonneville Environmental Foundation (https://www.b-e-f.org/) is a Carbon Offset seller. In addition they have Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and Water Restoration Certificates (WRCs), among others. Annual Cost is $146 for 14 tons of the “Carbon Offset - BEF Choice” product, or $165 for 14 tons of RECs offset, or $168 for the WRC product. These costs are for one time or annual purchase, no monthly payments. To use their calculator and view their offset options, go here (https://store.b-e-f.org/).
ClimeCo (https://www.climeco.com/) is a carbon offset seller. In addition they have plastic offset products, forest offset products and more. Annual Cost for Carbon Offsets is $162.50 for 13 of their $12.50 Carbon Offset credits, to offset 14 tons of annual CO2. One time payment, not monthly. To use their calculator and view their offset options, go here (https://shop.climeco.com/)
Carbon Footprint (3 Steps to Offset Your Carbon Footprint) - A UK site that has Carbon Offsets available for individuals for offset projects they sponsor around the world. Bring your annual CO2 offset total and plug into their calculator and you will be offered several different projects to support. One time or monthly payments, starting at about $150 per year for 14 tons of CO2 offsets.
Aclymate Individuals - myAclymate - Net Zero for All. Individuals can take a household Carbon Quiz, leading to an offer of offsets to mitigate them. My results were 14 metric tons of household carbon for $33 of offsets per month.
United Nations Carbon Offset Platform United Nations Carbon Offset Platform | UNFCCC - Contains a Carbon Footprint Calculator and provides offsets in multiple countries with prices per metric ton of $11 to $20. Projects that reduce, avoid or remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere.
Impactful Ninja - 13 Best Carbon Offsets for Individuals (Complete 2024 List) | Impactful Ninja - Additional sites from Impactful Ninja. Descriptions, prices and direct links to the carbon offset sites.
CARBON NEUTRAL STANDARDS WEB SITES
SO WHAT’S THE POTENTIAL INTEREST
IN BEING CARBON NEUTRAL?
INFO: The Next Frontier in Carbon Credits: Consumers | BCG
Only 34% of Americans were familiar with Carbon Offset Credits in 2022. Fewer still were aware they could be Carbon Neutral, because only 2-3% were in 2022. The survey data also reports that only 16% were NOT interested in using Carbon Offsets, leaving a potential pool of buyers of the 81% that’s left. That’s a big pool. We just need to reach out to them and provide information they lack to make a decision.
Green-e Power/RECs/Offsets BENEFITS TO AMERICA:
The Green Power / RECs System was developed by the EPA in 2001, and through additionality, increases the amount of Renewable Energy being supplied to America’s power grid.
RECs directly and immediately reduce your carbon footprint by buying renewable energy over fossil fueled energy.
RECs support the construction of Renewable Energy Facilities, transmission lines, substations, transformers and other crucial buildout materials for America’s electric grid.
All Green-e Power is backed by RECs. RECs can also be directly purchased if green power is not available from your local utility, Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF, above) will sell them to you directly.
Eliminating methane leaks into the atmosphere will buy the World time to get to Net Zero. Buying offsets and reducing atmospheric methane gas through 1) recycling and yard waste diversion from landfills, 2) landfill gas capture, 3) farm biogas capture, 4) methane monitoring and remediation, 5) Seaweed additives for cattle feed, 6) reducing beef consumption, and 7) abandoned gas well capping, are our best short term solutions to limit climate change. Methane is 28 times more destructive than CO2, and happens in 20 instead of 100 years. Methane’s effects are 80 times worse than CO2 over time.
Transitioning from fossil fuels to the future involves electricity and lots of it. America’s grid is 21% renewable and 79% less than renewable, now. Estimates are for doubling the electrical capacity of the grid by 2050. The faster households neutralize their household carbon footprints with 100% Green Power and RECs, the faster new capacity is funded and built that will make resurrecting crumbling nuke plants unnecessary, too expensive and time consuming (as they always are). Solar is by far the cheapest technology to produce power with, in America. Batteries make them an around the clock solution.
NOW THAT MY HOUSEHOLD’S CARBON NEUTRAL,
WHAT’S NEXT?
REPLACE CLIMATE ANXIETY WITH ACTION
Stay informed by signing up for email newsletters from the sites above, to drive down your household emissions in the future.
Bookmark websites that you can visit for their daily articles on climate subjects, like my favorite, phys.org (Earth News), above, from a myriad of independent sources.
Practice and adopt suggestions from the Household Carbon Reduction section, above. Save money while saving humanity.
As they wear out, replace gas appliances for cooking and heating with electric ones (induction stoves are pretty cool!), which can also improve your family’s health. Replace those gasoline powered garden tools with electric when the gas ones wear out. Take advantage of local promotions to get coupons to buy electric over gas blowers, for instance, that was recently offered in my community ($100.00!).
Give the gift of Carbon Offsets. Don’t know what to buy the person who has everything? Carbon Offsets are available as gifts from Terrapass, ClimeCo, and others, above.
Engage your friends, family and co-workers in conversations about being Carbon Neutral by sharing your efforts with them, the progress being made to reduce carbon emissions and how we, together, can beat Global Warming.
Enjoy the satisfaction of being a Carbon Neutral household and in knowing Climate Change can be defeated. Awareness of what we can do, is a start. Taking action is the next step. There is definitely hope for our future.
Spread the word by printing out some logos (below) and putting them where they will be seen. On your front door, on a bulletin board, at work and school, and wherever people are. Doing so multiplies the efforts you are making for a livable future.
Here’s the thing - According to a survey in 2023, 3% of Americans are carbon neutral, while 81% were willing to consider being Carbon Neutral. 16% were not interested. There are an incredible number of us willing to save humanity if only they knew how. You and I have to tell them. Print out and put up a sticker where it will be seen.
Free Printable Stickers
Free Printable Stickers
INFORM OTHERS - PRINT OUT SOME STICKERS
For your front door or public display. Get 3 ⅓” X 4”, six up format shipping labels from Amazon, onlinelabels and others. Use the PDF’s below, on “Best” print quality, to print stickers. They are made of paper so must be protected from the rain to stay readable.
Spread the news! Site logo and QR codes stickers
Proudly share I’m/We’re/Be Carbon Neutral Today!
What I Know,
is that not taking bold action now, will result in some of the worst outcomes and fears coming true for humanity. Doing nothing is not an option. Large majorities of young people are freaked out by impending climate change and think their future is bleak. They may be right.
We must resolve to replace this ANXIETY with immediate, relentless ACTION. We can win this battle with unrelenting efforts at every level of society, trying everything we can think of in a multilateral “shotgun” approach to conquer the plague of Global Warming. No one thing will solve this crisis. Reduce/eliminate household CO2, convert the electrical grid to 100% renewables, reflect heat back into space, bury waste wood under clay to keep CO2 sequestered, suck CO2 out of the air, and smokestacks to make inert products, stop burning coal and NatGas in homes and industry, keep landfill methane out of the air, preserve our forest lands and old growth timber, change the way we live to reduce our carbon footprint, monitor CO2 / CH4 from satellites and drones to repair leaks asap, and so much more we can and must do.
That’s what it’s going to take and we light that candle of hope, now.
We really have no choice, so join me, won’t you?
BeCarbonNeutralToday!
Constantly Reduce your Household Carbon Footprint
Neutralize the rest of your CO2 w/Renewable power/RECs & Offsets
Get to Carbon Zero when possible
Stay Informed / Get Involved
Tell friends, neighbors and people you know
Print and place some Site Logos in public view