A Carbon Footprint is the measure given to the amount of green house gases produced by burning fossil fuels, measured in units of carbon dioxide (ie Kg).  Like walking on a soft sandy beach everyone leaves a footprint and our aim is to point to a number of ways in which this potential damage to our environment can be reduced.

How can I offset my Carbon Footprint?
You can help to off set your carbon footprint by following some of the tips on the Carbon Footprint page. Basic reduction in power consumption, responsible travel, and various other activities can offset your carbon footprint.

1. You can plant a tree, or a few trees. Trees "breath in" carbon dioxide and "breath out" oxygen. This process is called "carbon sequestration"
2. You can purchase carbon dioxide credits and then not use them. This stops other people, organisations and countries using them.
3. Invest or donate to companies / organisations, who are researching and developing renewable and sustainable technologies.
4. You can buy energy efficient technologies and donate them to developing countries.
5. Purchase power from 'green' or renewable energy providers – and reduce your carbon footprint
6. Select products that you need from companies who themselves have responsible environmental policies, or who offset the carbon footprint on the products you purchase.

Any off these carbon offset methods can be used to balance your carbon footprint.

Plant a tree
Tree planting is one of the most common form of carbon offset. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen and wood, both of which are very useful for humans and other animals. There are several organisations which will plant trees on your behalf to neutralise or offset your carbon emissions. See our Links page.

Carbon dioxide credits
There are companies advertising on the web who purchase carbon dioxide credits in large volumes from a Climate Exchange programme. These carbon credits are the result of energy reduction projects over past years, which are then sold to companies then sold on. Buy purchasing carbon credits and not using them, they are retired so no other person or organisation can buy them - thus offsetting your carbon footprint.

Invest in Sustainable Technology Development
There are many sustainable technologies which are worth supporting either through donations or investment. These include:-:

• renewable energy (wind, wave, solar, geothermal, benign hydro, biomass)
• biomass fuels
• waste to energy projects
• recycling
• super efficient vehicles

Donation of energy efficient technologies
Another form of carbon offset, which is becoming more common, is supplying technologies, such as low energy light bulbs to worth while projects in developing countries. Your carbon footprint is effectively offset, since you have cause a reduction in carbon emissions elsewhere in the world.

Purchase power from ‘green’ or renewable energy providers
Many energy providers now offer ‘green power’ alternatives. Not only does this mean you are making a direct contribution to environmental preservation, but you can also save real cash in the process.

Select products that you need from responsible companies
All products that you purchase, in some way, have a ‘carbon overhead’.  The companies that created them, transport systems that delivered them etc all have created a carbon footprint of their own.  Many companies now take this seriously and offset their own carbon footprints click here for more information on how you can do the same.  There are emerging companies, that take this responsibility a little further, and even purchase carbon offsets to cover the products that you purchase. One such company calculates the carbon dioxide gas that needs to be created to power the products they sell (over their serviceable life expectancy) – and then offsets this by a continuous, managed tree planting campaign.  We hope that other producers of electrical equipment will follow this enterprising example.