Brighter Planet

Welcome to the planet

Before they take their first steps, you can take baby steps too and buy Planet Shares to offset a year of a child’s life. In addition to all the energy demands of parenting, newborns have lots of energy demands on the planet. From diapers to denim — feeding, clothing and changing a baby requires energy and natural resources, contributing an estimated 17 tons of carbon emissions to the atmosphere each year. As a new parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, friend, or co-worker, you are ensuring that the child that you love can be cleaner and greener. Supporting the growth of clean energy is not a one-time investment, but life-long insurance for a more sustainable future!

How do we calculate a child’s emissions?

Good question! The average American’s carbon footprint is 24.78 tons. But there are lots of things grown-ups do that kids don’t, like commuting to work or flying for business. Then there are emissions that children share with at least one adult. We sure hope the child you’re buying this offset for doesn’t live alone and ALWAYS carpools! To figure a child’s footprint, we took the national average and reduced or eliminated the emissions for which young children are partially or never responsible. We were left with about 17 tons each year. That may seem high, but remember that this figure comes from national averages. When we say an average American’s annual footprint is 24.78 tons, that includes everyone from babies to grandparents.

When you choose to buy offsets from Brighter Planet, you join a community of green Americans doing their part for the planet. Your purchase includes:

• Top-quality offsets from the exclusive Brighter Planet blend
• Access to meaningful conservation tips that match your lifestyle
• An online climate profile that allows you to record your conservation efforts, manage the offsets you’ve purchased and earned, and track your progress as you go beyond carbon neutrality
• A beautiful certificate for you to print and display