Carbon offsets are a fashionable way to feel less guilty while we continue to prioritize convenience and habit over sustainable action. But they’re not the panacea some would have you believe they are.

A carbon offset is an investment in a project designed to reduce greenhouse gases (solar farms, tree planting, etc.), meant to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. That is, the effect of your flying is supposedly not harmful because somewhere on the planet, someone is planting some trees that wouldn’t have been planted otherwise.

Unfortunately, most so-called carbon offsets invest in projects that would have happened anyway. And sometimes offset programs result in indigenous people losing access to their traditional lands and natural resources.

The best option is to not generate pollution in the first place. Find alternatives to flying, skip the cruise, eat less meat, and generally be conscientious. But if you can’t avoid a flight or other carbon-intensive activity, attempting to offset the damage is better than not doing anything.

According to Giving Green, three offset programs are worthwhile: Climeworks, Tradewater, and BURN.

Potentially more effective and more personally meaningful than purchasing carbon offsets is to make a sizable donation of time or money to an organization that is working to change climate policy, invest in renewable energy, or mitigate the effects of climate change on the communities most harmed.

I think Dr. Leah Stokes said it best: “My offset plan is activism.”