Unless you’re hoofing it, environmentally-friendly travel this holiday season is something of an oxymoron. By traveling to your second home or to, say, your destination club retreat, you’re emitting CO2. And those carbon gases, as Al Gore has told us over and over and over again, damage the environment.

And the amount of carbon you’re putting out there might be more than you think. According to a December 2006 report from nonprofit Clean Air, Cool Planet, a ton of CO2 is emitted when a person flies 2,000 miles in an airplane, or drives 1,350 miles in an SUV (which equates to 1,900 miles in a mid-sized car and 6,000 miles in a hybrid). The average U.S. resident, according to the report, emits 21 tons of carbon per year; that’s six billion (yes, billion) total tons for the United States a year.

Starting small

So what’s one person to do? Well, simply reducing your personal amount of travel is an obvious way to lessen your carbon emissions, but that’s hardly a practical, or enjoyable option, especially with the looming holiday travel season. Switching to a more fuel-efficient car, or a hybrid vehicle, is another way to lessen your carbon footprint. Another solution? Consider contributing to a carbon offsetting program.

There are plenty of online resources to get you started. Essentially, you calculate how much CO2 you contribute each year and based on your offset level, the site will calculate a dollar amount for you to contribute, which will then be funneled to agencies that give funding to carbon-reducing projects. Environmentally-friendly projects include everything from installing solar panels to increasing wind or hydro energy to simply planting trees.

A word to the wise, though: Such agencies don’t claim that carbon offsetting is a total solution to the problem; rather, it’s one step towards a healthier environment. So as you head out on winter trips, here are some resources that offer more information on reducing your carbon footprint along with the option to purchase an offset.

Sustainable Travel International

www.sustainabletravelinternational.org

Offers an offset calculator based on air travel, auto travel, gifts, home output and lodging. Donations go to MyClimate™ Verified Emission Reductions and Certified Emission Reductions, Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) Green Tags and Conservation Carbon from Conservation International.

Carbonfund.org

www.carbonfund.org

Calculate your total carbon emissions, or those for your car or individual flights. Directs funds to renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation efforts.

LiveNeutral

www.liveneutral.org

Features LiveNeutral, DriveNeutral and FlyNeutral calculators. Carbon-neutral certifications purchased become third-party verified, legally accountable emissions reductions credits through Chicago Climate Exchange.

Terrapass

www.terrapass.com

Calculate your carbon footprint for driving to your fractional residence in Scottsdale or flying to a condo hotel in Florida. The online tool can even calculate the carbon footprint of your second home. Terrapass tracks all projects funded by its offsets, including investments in wind farms or initiatives that offset methane gas from landfills.