San Francisco airport to offer carbon credits to travelers

Worried about how that next airplane trip will affect the environment? The San Francisco Chronicle reports that a new experimental carbon credit program being offered by San Francisco International Airport may be just the ticket.

The paper reports that SFO would be the first airport in the nation, possibly the world, to offer the credits. At the very least, officials hope it will get people thinking. More from the Chronicle:

"The general idea, officials said, is that a traveler would approach a kiosk resembling the self-service check-in stations used by airlines, then punch in his or her destination.

The computer would calculate the carbon footprint and the cost of an investment to offset the damage. The traveler could then swipe a credit card to help save the planet.

Travelers would receive a printed receipt listing the projects benefiting from their environmental largesse."

--Andrew Blankstein