Calculating Carbon Emissions

My trusty friend, Paul Challacombe, sent me the following link to figure out exactly how much carbon debting I'm creating for the planet these days:

http://tinyurl.com/2y6prj

In this 2005 NRDC article by Jeff Greenwald, a number of travel options are considered with the final conclusion being that being alive on the planet is a state of carbon debting. By 2050, the effect of contrails will represent 17 per cent of global warming. For the time being, we can only try to pay that down by planting trees.

By going to the American Forests website, I was able to figure my estimated lifetime debt to the planet, about $5 000. so far. I made my first installment paydown of $83. to plant 83 trees. $83. conservatively represents about one year of my carbon life right now. I cost the planet 83 trees worth of carbon emissions last year. Sobering. It will take me about a year to clear the rest of my debt.