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Chances are you’ve heard the buzzwords “carbon footprint” and “carbon offsetting,” but what are they?

Your carbon footprint is a calculation of your impact on the environment measured by the amount of carbon you produce by your activities. This includes everything from energy use at home to transportation (referred to as your primary footprint since you can control it), the food you eat to the clothes you buy (called your secondary footprint, since you can’t directly control these).

Carbon offsetting is the process of reducing these gasses through financial means – as a consumer, you can purchase a carbon offset – money spent towards projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gasses. These projects include investments in renewable energy sources like wind farms, organizations working to improve energy efficiency, and reforestation. The movement has gained traction in recent years, and is even a part of the Kyoto Protocol, an environmental treaty enacted in 2005 aiming to collectively reduce greenhouse emissions around the world; organizations unable to meet emissions standards can “offset” their carbon footprint through donations.

How can you help? Visit a donation site like terrapass.com or  carbonfund.org to offset your carbon emissions. The process is simple: first, choose an activity to offset: home, car, flights or public transit.  Then, narrow your search by value (apartment vs. large home, 6,000 miles of air travel vs. 100,000). The calculator then suggests a (tax deductible!) donation amount.

Why is this important? Carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses are a direct cause of climate change. Some scientists predict a two-degree increase in the planet’s temperature within the next 100 years. This means more glacier melting, rising sea levels, and the eventual migration of species. According to the EPA, just a two-foot rise in sea level will eliminate 10,000 square miles of land.

Carbon-offset contributions can be minimal; offsetting 6,000 miles of air travel (approximately a round trip coast-to-coast U.S. flight) is about $12. Small changes can help reduce your carbon footprint (without having to pay to offset!) – install a low-flow showerhead or elect wind-generated electricity for your home instead of a fossil-fuel burning source, for example. The message to stop global warming is clear: reduce your footprint where you can. And where you can’t reduce, offsetting your carbon footprint encourages responsible energy use for the future.

By Kristen Hawley