Carbon Offsets From The U.S. Government

Consumers who feel badly about the carbon emissions from that flight across the country can now make a donation to the Carbon Capital Fund to help sequester some of that carbon in the forests they fly over.

The U.S. Forest Service and the National Forest Foundation launched the first carbon offset program for individuals that involves the federal government yesterday. For $6, individuals can offset one ton of carbon.

Trees absorb and hold carbon. Worldwide, the loss of forests is one of the leading causes of global warming -- making countries like Indonesia high on the list of contributors to global warming. At home, retaining trees and increasing forest cover already sequesters about 10-15% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Forest Service.

The goal of the new Carbon Capital Fund is to increase tree cover in National Forests. Two initial pilot projects being considered include:

• Planting 500 acres of ponderosa pine in the Custer National Forest of Montana and South Dakota, where the Kraft Springs Fire cleared the land.
• Planting 1,400 acres of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, western larch and Engelmann spruce in the Payette National Forest in Idaho, where a June 2006 tornado splintered the forest.

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