When you buy something, do you understand how and where it was made? Do you think about the human and environmental costs of its production? You may not always get answers to these questions, but you can still take steps to find reputable businesses and lower your consumer carbon footprint.

Just as you can give your business to socially and environmentally responsible companies, you can choose to invest in ones with these values. A number-one priority is to remove your money from fossil fuel companies and the banks that support them.

Offsets are carbon credits that companies and individuals can purchase to help counteract the harm of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. You purchase credits to promote an activity that removes or avoids the production of GHGs, such as by planting trees or helping to create a new source of renewable energy.