World Offset is an interactive website that invites people to pledge a small carbon offset. The concept is that collectively, these small gestures of conservation can produce a significant reduction in resource consumption and combat the problem of global warming.

Visitors to the site arrive at the “PROMISE” link. There, individuals choose to make one or more pledges to conserve energy, perhaps by eating one more vegetarian meal that week. After submission, the contribution is dynamically updated on the “GOODPEOPLE” link for all to see.

When someone makes a promise online, the amount of carbon offset alters the visuals in the eco-visualization (“ECOVIZ” link). An eco-visualization is a creative animation that makes environmental data visible and potentially more interesting to the general public.

The web-based animation launched on March 22, 2008 with no carbon offsets registered. All of the spinning disks were filled with devices that consume energy: hairdryers, toasters, and airplanes.

When the first 75,000 pounds of carbon were promised, a change occurred in the animation: trees replaced light bulbs. The initial goal for the launch of the animation was to offset at minimum 15,000 pounds of carbon, the amount that the average American consumes per year. The fact that so many real promises are required to offset the impact of one individual is in itself a demonstration of the enormous challenge of modifying human behavior to slow climate change. Presently, more than half a million pounds of carbon must be offset to fully “green” the animation at the “ECOVIZ” link on the site. As of March 3, 2009, over 481,000 pounds of carbon have been offset via collective global action—these gestures bring us nearly to the target goal.