Carbon Offsets Can Really Make a Difference—Here’s How AFAR 2 hrs ago Photo by Adrián Portugal The Alto Mayo Protected Forest has seen much human encroachment, but money from carbon credits is funding alternative projects.Carbon offsets are a complicated and often misunderstood proposition. They’re no substitute for reducing our carbon emissions at the source. As Kimberly Nicholas insists in the must-read Under the Sky We Make: How to Be Human in a Warming World—a book that combines unassailable facts with personal anecdotes and a plan for action—the best way to reduce our individual footprints is to go flight-, car-, and meat-free.