Here is a very nifty little carbon footprint calculator that tells you how many trees would theoretically offset the carbon emission that you generate.


http://allianceco2.com/calc.html


The idea of offsetting jet flights with trees is enticing, but I have some reservations.

Firstly, how many people can find all their last years' fuel bills, needed to make the calculation? Issuing bills by email might help with this.

Secondly, if five trees were planted this winter, there would be a normal failure rate of 1-2 and in any case, it would be a couple of years before they started to sequester any significant amount of carbon, and in the meantime it is still being pumped out.

Still, there would be a lot of advantages in a permanently increased native species tree coverage in Ireland, in towns and cities as well as in rural areas and every bit we do on carbon emissions might help.

I'm off to look for an ESB bill.

The logging industry is in crisis in Ireland owing to a lack of planting over the last decade so they need all the trees that they can get.

My airline one would be fairly high as I take quite alot of short haul flights in any given year. That said I barely drive and we gave up on traditional lightbulbs years ago .