Global warming is at the forefront of concerns this summer, so we're switching off lights, conserving water, taking the bus and anything else we can think of to make a difference.

While the elephant in the room seems to be travel, few of us are ready to give up those well-earned, sought after holidays to exciting - and often far away - destinations.

Consequently, we've all been getting a healthy dose of green guilt over travel plans that burn fossil fuels through trains, planes and automobiles.

Enter the latest trend - Carbon Offsets. The idea is simple. From planting trees to donating to environmental initiatives, a carbon offset is any positive eco-act that counter balances one's own carbon emissions.

But carbon offsets do more than just make us feel better. In the case of a purchased offset, the donation is inherently a good cause. A wind energy provider is made more viable and stable, able to maintain and purchase more turbines. A solar panel manufacturer can increase production and expand operations. An offset may even fund research into non-traditional fuels like ethanol.

Treeplanting - a popular carbon offset choice

So where do you buy one? Rather than dealing with individual energy companies or research projects, most offset purchasers deal with an organization specializing in managing the funds. A basic web search will turn up endless offset providers, so they're not hard to find.

Until alternative fuels and more efficient engines power our vacations, the need to counteract the environmental effects will continue. Likewise, the debate as to how effective offsets can actually be in creating balance is ongoing. However, the opportunities do exist to do something, even a minor thing, to help heal the world you love to travel in.

More carbon offset reading:

• Guilt Trips
  Condé Nast Traveler - US
  
  
• Confessions of a Polar Bear Killer
  The Tyee - Vancouver, BC
  

*Information on carbon offsets found at en.wikipedia.org and davidsuzuki.org.