MSNBC.com

The following is an excerpt from MSNBC's interview with Billy Connelly of NativeEnergy.  To read the complete article, please click on: Carbon Offsets

Every time we flick on a light, fry an egg or boot up the computer we’re using energy, which results in carbon emissions that contribute to global warming.

Most carbon offset companies provide consumers with an online carbon calculator so we can easily work out just how much CO2 we’re spewing into the environment. But Billy Connelly, a spokesman from carbon offsets company Native Energy, gave me a quick peek at the damage we’re doing. According to Connelly, the average American home generates 12 tons of carbon each year and the average American vehicle generates six tons. And each member of the family produces about 18 to 20 tons of carbon individually.

That’s a lot of carbon pollution simply from daily living, but what about those of us who also travel frequently? “One of the biggest causes of carbon impact for Americans is their travel-related emissions,” says Connelly. “Airline travel uses tons of jet fuel and the impact on the environment is considerable.” In fact, the numbers may have you reconsidering your next long-distance journey. A round-trip flight from New York to Los Angeles generates two tons of carbon per passenger. Multiply that by approximately 300 passengers and thousands of flights per day and it’s clear that the planet is suffering from our need to go places.