Carbon neutral has several meanings. In its strictest sense it means having zero net carbon emissions or no long-term effect on the climate system. More recently the term has been used to refer to balancing the use of fossil fuels with renewable energy and sequestration projects. In today’s society it is impossible to completely eliminate your carbon footprint without making drastic lifestyle changes, but there are things you can do to “offset” the emissions you can’t avoid through conservation, opting for green energy sources and using more energy efficient appliances and forms of transportation.

Offsetting emissions involves undertaking or helping fund projects that take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere or prevent future carbon emissions. There are a large number of offset providers around the world with highly varied offset project portfolios, although reforestation and renewable energy projects are the most common. The cost to offset one ton of carbon emissions can vary greatly depending on the type and location of project being implemented. For example a reforestation project in a developing country is much cheaper to implement than a wind farm project in the U.S. However, local and domestic projects help the U.S. economy. Listed below are just few U.S. carbon offset providers, each of which has their own carbon calculator.

• Cleveland Carbon Fund -  As the first community-based, open-access carbon reduction fund in the United States, the Cleveland Carbon Fund invests in local community projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and spark economic development in Cleveland.
• Climate Trust
• NativeEnergy
• myclimate

But remember, the goal is to reduce global emissions and since the most effective way to limit GHG emissions is to not produce them, conserving energy and increasing energy efficiency are the first and most critical steps. Using renewable/green energy sources and alternative, low-carbon fuels as much as possible is the next step, and the final step is balancing the emissions that cannot be avoided or generated from renewable sources with carbon offsets.