Carbon Offsets for National Hurricane Preparedness Month

September 2, 2020

With September being National Hurricane Preparedness Month, all of us living near a coastline have a unique opportunity to take care of our immediate needs without causing a net gain in greenhouse gases. Here are 5 ways you can use carbon offsets to reduce your carbon footprint during National Hurricane Preparedness Month:

Plan Your Evacuation Route — And Make It Carbon-Neutral

If you live in a coastal area notorious for flooding during hurricanes, then you most likely already have a hurricane evacuation plan. If your evacuation plan is to drive a few hours inland and seek shelter in the mountains, you may be looking at a 200-mile drive in each direction. Buy carbon offsets to make your evacuation round-trip carbon-neutral. If you're feeling really generous, buy a carbon offset for one of the many strangers from your town who will be traveling in the same direction at the same time!

Buy Carbon Offsets for Hotel Stays

Many of us living in hurricane evacuation zones plan to stay at a hotel or other accommodations with a backup power supply. What we don't often consider, though, is just how much energy a hotel expends to keep exterior lights on through the night or dehumidification systems running constantly. Think about what your own share of all that energy usage may be — it's already included in your bill! — and buy carbon offsets to make your hurricane hotel stay carbon-neutral as well.

Buy Carbon Offsets for Meal Deliveries

If you're evacuating to an unfamiliar town a few hours away, you may or may not be comfortable going out to shop for groceries or picking up dinner, especially if you're arriving after dark. If you prefer to order in or have a delivery service bring essential items to you at your hotel, consider how much additional energy is being consumed for this convenience and buy carbon offsets to make up for it.

Entertain Yourself the Old-Fashioned Way

Depending on how badly a hurricane damages your town, you may find yourself without power for days after you return. Surprisingly for many people, one of the worst parts of being without power is the lack of entertainment. You can't simply turn on the TV and are trying not to run down your phone's battery by watching videos or scrolling through social media feeds.

Old-fashioned entertainment to the rescue! Books — actual books made of paper — as well as puzzles and a deck of cards can keep you entertained for days after a hurricane and don't require power. And don't forget coloring books, crayons, markers and toys for the kids! Keep all of these items in or near your go-bag in case you and your family have to evacuate on short notice — that way, you can enjoy them away from home and you'll know exactly where to find them when you return!

Recharge Electronics with Solar Power

Solar power banks are now widely available at electronics and appliance stores and online. Though it may seem counter-intuitive to rely on solar power during a hurricane, it's more common than people realize for storms to cause major damage and destruction in their town and then leave as quickly as they arrived, with the sun shining and thousands of households waiting to have their electricity restored. If you ever find yourself without power on a sunny day after a major storm, you can easily recharge laptops and mobile devices by plugging into a solar power bank. For best results, charge up your solar power bank on a sunny day before the storm hits.

Green Mountain Offsets is a leader among carbon offset providers, and we are committed to helping everyday Americans who are concerned about their carbon footprint to offset their high-carbon lifestyles by investing in carbon-reducing projects around North America. Check out our carbon offset calculator today to see how you can be part of the solution!

For more on how carbon offsets work and how we can help you to carbon-offset your evacuation travel during National Hurricane Preparedness Month and beyond, contact us.