Give a cooler planet as a gift this Christmas. As the Earth warms from humans pouring tons of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere, carbon offsets are growing as a way for individuals to reduce their impact.

While no substitute for systematic economic and political change, the concept of an offset is that it removes GHG from the atmosphere, or prevents it from being emitted in the first place. Most retailers sell each offset—the equivalent of a ton of GHG—for $5 to $10 from projects ranging from capturing landfill methane, a potent GHG, to reforestation, which stores carbon dioxide in trees. Verified offsets come with a certificate, and independent certification that your money was put to good use.

Credible credits

Residents of industrialized nations emit about 10 tons of greenhouse gases each year just going about their daily lives. It’s not all by choice. Most utilities still…