#environment

Average US footprint: 16 tonnes CO2/year. Verified offsets cost $15-30/tonne, so $240-$480 buys carbon neutrality. Many of the bigger reductions (driving less, eating less beef, solar) cut both emissions and grocery/utility/fuel bills.

Economists call the damage from emitting 1 tonne of CO2 the 'social cost of carbon.' Current estimates: $50-200/tonne. Average US household: 16 tonnes/year. The invisible bill: $800-$3,200 per year — paid by future generations, not you.