Toronto Star: Chris Sorensen

Air Canada, which has experimented heavily with pay-as-you-go pricing for everything from meals to pillows and blankets, has added a new “extra” to its website for travellers feeling guilty about the impact of their trip on the environment: the opportunity to purchase a carbon offset.

The country’s largest airline said yesterday that passengers who book air fares on its website, or on regional carrier Jazz, will soon be able to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide generated by their trip and, if they choose, purchase a carbon offset through a partnership with Zerofootprint, a not-for-profit organization that operates carbon offset programs.

For example, a Toronto-London flight would cost $19.20 based on Air Canada’s current aircraft, the airline said.

As the name implies, carbon offset programs are designed to “offset” the impact of environmentally unfriendly activities such as flying or driving by putting a dollar value on damage done to the environment and then investing an equal amount of money in environmental programs, initiatives or technologies.

Continue reading the full article in The Star.