Last week, the popular eco-blog Treehugger.com challenged Helium Report to “keep highlighting environmental issues and organizations” after reading our recent post listing 13 Ways to Give Away Your Wall Street Bonus.

So with the help of TerraPass, we calculated the cost to offset carbon dioxide emissions when flying in a private jet.

We were surprised to find it costs less than 1% of the flying cost per hour to fly carbon neutral.

We reviewed ten popular jets in four categories and found the cost to fly carbon neutral ranges from $7 to $60 an hour — a minuscule amount when flying private costs $2,000 to $13,000 an hour. For less than $10,000, you can offset 200 hours in a Falcon 2000, a 10-seat jet that costs more than $25 million.

Chart numbers updated on 10/18/2007

TerraPass offers a Google mash-up widget where you can enter your flight itineraries and calculate your carbon dioxide emissions when flying commercial. TerraPass is one of several new firms that helps you balance your emissions by funding clean energy projects such as wind farms. Last year, the company partnered with Expedia.com to offer carbon offsets for flights booked through the online travel site. Ranging from $5.99 for a short flight to $29.99 to an international flight, the carbon offsets are popular among eco-minded travelers.

If it’s that easy to fly carbon neutral on a commercial flight, then Helium Report encourages private air travelers to do the same. It’s less than 1% of the cost of flying. Our analysts discovered:

• An hour in a private jet burns as much fuel as one year of driving.
• It costs less than $50 an hour to offset a $10,000 an hour private jet flight.
• President Bush can fly carbon neutral on Air Force One for $200,000 (half his annual salary).

Al Gore knows all too well what a difference 1% makes. The self-proclaimed “former next President of the United States of America” helped make “Carbon Neutral” the Word(s) of the Year for 2006. Now he’s training 1,000 acolytes to teach the importance of climate change. The website for his documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” includes a calculator to help you determine your personal impact on the environment.

Silicon Valley venture capitalists John Doerr and Vinod Khosla are investing in green technology and evangelizing the cause. The pair recently teamed up to fund the Clean Alternative Energy Act initiative in California. And high-profile investors are not the only ones taking up the green banner. Governor Schwarzenegger even converted his Hummers to run on alternative fuels and signed state legislation to reduce greenhouse gases.

Celebrities, too, are doing their part. Leonado diCaprio, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, and J. Lo all drive a Toyota Prius. But George Clooney went so far as to produce “Syriana” as a carbon neutral movie. Dave Matthews Band, the Dixie Chicks, and Pearl Jam all offset the travel on their tours.

Although Helium Report analysts are experts in private jets, our small team walks, takes the ferry, rides the train, and drives a hybrid car to our shared office space in San Francisco. We partnered with TerraPass to make Helium Report a carbon neutral business. We invite our readers to consider doing the same.

Post a comment below or send us an email at tips@heliumreport.com and let us know how you live a luxury lifestyle with the least environmental impact.

Resources

Carbon offset providers and notable customers:

• TerraPass – Expedia.com
• Sustainable Travel International – 2006 World Cup, Ben & Jerry’s
• Native Energy – Dave Matthews Band, “Syriana” film
• Conservation International – Dixie Chicks and Pearl Jam
• The Conservation Fund – Travelocity

Articles:

• Kleiner’s Green Investment Machine – The Wall Street Journal
• Schwarzenegger Opens in a Sequel – NY Times
• Syriana Goes Climate Neutral – Treehugger

Worth watching: Al Gore’s follow-up presentation on TEDTalks where he explains what you can do about the climate crisis.