As reported by the Oregonian, Yakima, Nike, REI and KEEN Footwear are all buying carbon offsets to counter part of the CO2 that their businesses produce.

The effectiveness of planting trees or paying for wind projects is still being debated, but anything that costs a corporation money for no financial benefit cannot be viewed as an empty gesture. Not producing the CO2 in the first place by streamlining manufacturing and transportation systems is a better idea (and has a financial return), or companies can directly buy their electricity from renewable sources so a direct benefit can be calculated. Not using coal-fired electricity can only be helpful to reducing emissions.

One of the biggest job opportunities for the next decade will be working for the consultancies that perform carbon emission audits for businesses. Schools looking to get bigger should create a major in this arena.