So. We all get it: emissions from air travel make a huge impact on an individual's carbon footprint. You can Skype or make more phone calls or in some cases, stream a concert online from the comfort of your desk chair, but sometimes travel over long distances is unavoidable.

Many travel websites and air carriers make it easy to offset the carbon associated with your travel through carbon offsets, but they should be implementing energy efficiency measures in the first place to make the emissions you're generating not so fierce. Some are doing just that.

JetBlue has reported that they are reducing the speed with which a plane flies in order to save fuel--potentially saving you money and saving the amount of fuel burned to get you from point A to point B. This is great--but I have a feeling it's motivated more for reducing the cost of their flights than care for global warming--despite any spin that initiative is getting. Virgin, on the other hand, is taking an even more aggressive stance by saying that they are willing to pay a carbon tax on their air business. Yes. You read this correctly: they are willing to pay a tax voluntarily because they recognize the impact their business offering has on the environment. Pretty rad, if you ask me. Virgin wins again.

Labels: carbon offsets, sarah, travel, Virgin