I’ve calculated the amount of CO2 generated on my travels in 2019 and ways to offset it by contributing to a basket of carbon mitigation projects.

The results are surprising:

• Total distance travelled: 75,651 kilometres
• Total CO2 generated: 11,042 kilograms
• Total contribution required: £107.98

This is a minute amount of money compared with the many thousands of pounds I have spent on these trips. The conclusion is obvious:

I can easily afford to offset my travels and so can YOU!!

They say “charity starts at home” and I believe this to be true for carbon offsetting; while some people may contribute to the grand schemes by engaging politically, joining action groups or going on demonstrations etc., very few are willing to take responsibility for their own footprint and dip into their own pockets.

My aim is to be carbon neutral by the time I die; what about YOU?

I have allocated my “debt” over three projects, including a tree planting scheme in the UK. All projects I subscribe to are verified according to QAS standards.

You can also use the tool I’ve created – you just have to put your own trips in and refresh the pivot table. You can then allocate your contribution to the various projects as you wish. Please feel free to check my figures – all feedback is greatly appreciated!

I’ll be using it to offset my travels in 2018, 2017 … as far back as I have records for, which is about 1998. Before that it will be informed guesswork back to 1970 when I was eighteen and before which I consider to be my parents’ footprint – not mine. By the same token, I consider my children’s footprints to be shared between me and their mother, up to the age of eighteen.

“What about heating and lighting?” you might say. My answer: “Watch this space!”.