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By Lookout Staff

July 28 – Next time you hop a plane at Santa Monica Airport, you may want to think about helping plant a tree.

The City is launching a program that gives the environmentally conscious traveler a chance to purchase “carbon offsets,” a burgeoning market-based solution getting a lot of attention lately.

The program allows travelers to invest in activities that would “remove the equivalent
carbon emissions from a scheduled trip by planting trees, installing solar panels, or other comparable measures,” according to City environmental officials.

City officials believe the 63-year-old municipal airport may be the first of its size to offer this new option on its website.

“Some airlines and commercial airports have begun providing a carbon offset option, but
Santa Monica Airport appears to be the first general aviation airport to provide a ready link to such opportunities,” airport officials said.

Travelers can calculate and purchase offsets for flights and for other forms of transportation, such as driving, by using the calculator on the Santa Monica Airport’s carbon offset page at www.smgov.net/airport/

The calculator provides a measure of the carbon produced based on the number of miles traveled and the number of passengers on the flight.

The cost of the offsets for two persons flying round trip to San Francisco, for example, would be about $5.27 total, officials said.

The offset purchases go to non-profit organizations involved in reforestation and alternative energy projects, they said.

Only the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in concert with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), can set emission standards for the aircraft, but local airports and jurisdictions can boost awareness and provide options to address some of the environmental impacts of their Flights, officials said.