SFO now sells indulgences from kiosks — although they prefer to call them carbon offsets:
Michael Wara, an environmental law professor at Stanford, says the idea is pretty abstract.“I mean, what are you buying?” he says. “You are buying a piece of paper that represents the fact that an emission of an odorless, colorless gas did not occur somewhere else.”
The airport is hoping to turn that abstract concept into reality. Kandace Bender, deputy airport director of communications and marketing says it cost $190,000 to develop the “climate passport” kiosks from scratch.
“We felt it was a good public service for our passengers and for the environment,” she says.