Hitting the road with a GREEN sheen !

Feeling somewhat guilty about driving all these miles for pleasure, especially given the heart-wrenching situation in the Gulf right now, I have been researching ways that I can transform our excessive carbon use into something sustainable/regenerative for the planet.

After a few good leads from friends, i came upon TerraPass , a progressive company that has made a business around helping people offset their individual/business carbon emissions. Through their website we were able to successfully calculate the number of miles that we will be driving on this fantastic adventure (3,606 +/-), then purchase an offset for the exact amount of carbon that we would produce. Pretty cool!
So where does the money go? you might ask??
They have 3 primary ways that they channel the money they receive:

1. Farm power: TerraPass funds agricultural projects in which farmers capture and destroy methane from animal manure decomposition. The captured methane is often used to generate renewable energy. TerraPass funds primarily North American projects. TerraPass has funded farm power projects in CA, IN, MI, MN, NY, WA and WI.
2. Renewable energy: TerraPass funds renewable energy projects such as wind farms. Renewable energy projects reduce CO2 emissions by displacing conventional electricity in the region where the renewable energy is generated. TerraPass funds primarily North American projects. TerraPass has funded renewable energy projects in CA, KY, MN, NC, ND, NE, OK, SD, WA, and WY.
3. Waste gas capture: TerraPass funds solid waste projects in which operators prevent or capture and destroy methane from decomposition. TerraPass may fund similar projects at wastewater treatment plants. TerraPass funds primarily North American projects. TerraPass has funded solid waste projects in AR, FL, IL, MD, ME, MO, MT, NC, NE, PA, SD and VA.

For more detailed info (click HERE) and/or visit their website: www.terrapass.com

While we really should be driving a heck of a lot less, and maybe even doing this entire trip by bike... we are limited by available time and energy!
As with everything, you gotta make choices/trade-offs with clear intention and added effort to do the right thing wherever and whenever it is possible!
So this is our effort on the carbon dioxide emissions, stay tuned for other ways we are trying to reduce our foot print on this upcoming adventure...