What is Carbon Offset?

With ever-increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere, society must seek ways to draw at least as much of this greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere as we put into it. The act of removing carbon from the atmosphere to counter emissions is called a carbon offset.

Methods of Carbon Offset

While emission reductions are absolutely necessary, the only feasible way to achieve a net-zero goal is to remove carbon from the atmosphere. This will be a critical activity on a global scale over the next centuries – carbon offset is not a fleeting trend and has no expiration date, since it is becoming a requirement for sustainable life on earth as we know it. In order for the earth to sustain a modern population of over 7.9 billion people, we must actively undertake initiatives to control the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Emissions reductions will also be necessary, but alone they will not suffice to combat a problem on such a massive scale.

Reducing emissions lessens future damage, but carbon capture actually reverses damage done in the past. This is why carbon capture is such a powerful tool. 

Existing and Proposed Carbon Capture Methods Include:

  • Reforestation, Afforestation, and Forest Management
  • Soil Carbon Sequestration (agricultural land management)
  • CO2-enhanced oil recovery
  • Growth and storage of microalgae
  • Anaerobic digestion recycling
  • … and more

Green Future’s Way = Nature’s Way

Of the existing carbon capture methods, one method stands tall above the rest – trees. 

Carbon Cycle Carbon Offset
Plants, especially large ones such as trees, draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and capture it as they create wood, leaves, and other biomass components. By engaging in carbon offset through reforestation, you can actively remove carbon from the atmosphere for years to come.

Trees naturally pull a large amount of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as they grow, storing the carbon in the wood that is produced. The vast majority of the stored carbon would only get released if the wood would be burned – if the tree eventually falls from natural causes, the carbon stays in the forest and eventually becomes part of the soil. Additionally, the leaves and other litter that is produced annually and falls to the forest floor also stores a significant amount of carbon in the forest biomass.

Therefore, the planting and proper management of large-scale forest plots are an excellent way to offset a carbon footprint. Aside from the benefit achieved by storing atmospheric carbon, planting trees on land that was previously bare or in agricultural use is excellent for wildlife and the entire natural ecosystem. 

Combating Climate Change in the United States 

Reforestation efforts and carbon capture in general have been gaining popularity around the world. Many efforts focus on preserving and reforesting areas in central Africa or in South America. These efforts are very important and are worthy of large-scale investment. However, there is an enormous untapped opportunity for carbon capture through reforestation in the United States. 

Hundreds of thousands of farmers and landowners in the U.S. possess areas of marginal farmland, unused pastures, reclaimed mines, and deforested lands. Many of these individuals would love nothing more than to have a healthy forest growing on that land, but cannot justify the input cost to plant trees on such a large scale. Green Future facilitates reforestation efforts on these lands, using these tree-planting projects to achieve businesses’ and individuals’ net-zero carbon goals. 

Make a decision to offset your carbon emissions today! Check out our carbon offset solutions for businesses and for individuals. 

Green Future’s reforestation projects provide carbon offset through natural, proven, and sustainable methods. Also, Green Future supports the rural American economy by working with domestic businesses to complete projects and by providing value-growing trees to farmers and other landowners. According to a 2019 study published in Science, the restoration of trees is one of our most effective strategies for mitigating climate change, and the United States is the country with the second most tree restoration potential globally, with over 254.5 million acres of reforestation potential.(1) Considering this, U.S. domestic reforestation needs to be made a priority.

Our projects provide a way for individuals and businesses alike to offset their carbon emissions in a proven and auditable way. Green Future does not use funding to invest in speculative technologies or current trends, we are hyper-focused on our mission of carbon offset through reforestation and afforestation efforts (i.e. tree-planting and forest management). We are not going to fail on delivering a complicated tech solution, trees work and have been doing so for quite some time. 

Green Future provides transparency

It can be extremely difficult for anyone, except perhaps a farmer with large tracts of their own land, to develop and implement carbon offset projects on their own. Green Future provides its customers with a fully comprehensive carbon offset solution:

Lifetime Carbon Offset
Pass on a healthy world to the next generation with a Lifetime Carbon Offset or a Monthly Option.
  • Green Future finds landowners and farmers in the U.S. to provide land for planting projects
  • Green Future coordinates sustainable and eco-friendly reforestation projects
    • GFF does not plant monocultures, and these are not tree farms (see Success Stories). Our projects are focused on the planting of native tree species and the development of natural forests that benefit the entire ecosystem. This allows wildlife to flourish and the land to return to a self-sustaining biome without the need for invasive active management practices. 
  • Green Future will provide status updates on all projects throughout their lifetime, including content that can be shared with friends and family to show the world that you lead your life in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
  • If you offset your carbon emissions with us, you receive a certificate documenting your offset, as well as status updates on the tree planting projects. You will literally see your contribution to global environmental sustainability growing year after year.

The following carbon offset plans are tailored to allow individuals and businesses a simple and comprehensive carbon offset solution. If none of the solutions seem appealing to you or if you need a custom solution due to higher-than-average energy use, please click here to request a quote.

Carbon Offset Plans & Pricing for Individuals & Families:

Carbon Offset Plans & Pricing for Businesses:

Lifetime Carbon Offset:

Bastin, J., Finegold, Y., Garcia, C., Mollicone, D., Rezende, M., Routh, D., Crowther, T. W. (2019). The global tree restoration potential. Science,365(6448), 76-79. doi:10.1126/science.aax0848