My husband, a frequent traveller, just received a very solicitous e-mail from Air Canada. Apparently, the airline is offering its own carbon offset program, in partnership with a not-for-profit organization. Travellers can purchase carbon offsets to mitigate the environmental impact of their flights; in fact, this month, Air Canada will match these contributions.

Air Canada is a commercial business, making profits from conveying passengers in airplanes with vast fuel demands and similarly high emission levels. While it is heartwarming that they are encouraging offsets and matching purchases, it seems beside the point somehow. Shouldn’t we all be looking at ways to become more energy-efficient, find alternative fuel sources, and produce lower emissions? The increasing business of providing carbon offsets should also be up for scrutiny.

Apparently, not all carbon emission offsets are created equal.In a collective enthusiasm for preventing environmental damage, or at least alleviating effects on the world, becoming carbon neutral has taken hold. In short, it means that for all the things we do involving emissions production (think travelling in vehicles, using electricity from conventional sources, buying tropical fruits, and so on), we donate toward a cause that removes carbon from circulation. For the most part, carbon dioxide and methane are the most targeted emissions gases.

Removing carbon can take a number of forms - from planting trees to developing wind farms. Part of the idea lies in the power of numbers, such that one person’s efforts may have a tiny impact while a group can make a more substantial contribution. This concept applies both in terms of money and in the scale of gesture - not just planting a backyard tree but a whole plantation. Another part of offsets is funding technology projects that will produce lower emissions than conventional methods. Paying for alternative energy brings renewable sources into the mainstream.

The danger is that we don’t change our habits - the ones that produce wasteful emissions - but instead throw more money at them to feel better. That works, to some degree, in wealthy developed countries. But the less wealthy, developing, nations see our lifestyles and emulate the technology and industry, without having the money and incentive to pay for offsets. It’s a global problem, so global solutions are required.

The flip side is that exposure to the terminology and option of offsets allows individuals and companies to understand the scale of the problem. Reduction of emissions is one step. Paying for improved technology or mitigation is another aspect. The result resembles a tax on emissions. In this sense, recognizing the costs - through paying carbon offsets and becoming carbon neutral - is a move toward responsible reduction.

No matter what, it is certainly time for each one of us to recognize our own contribution to the problem. Using less energy is a big part. Being aware of the practices of companies, as aware consumers, is another. And if work or other commitments lead to unavoidable travel, maybe carbon offsets will help. But make sure you find a reputable offset vendor, and don’t let the habit lead to lazy consumption. Unfortunately, it is not actually as simple as it first seems.