When it comes to the environment, almost everything you do has a side effect.

Mowing your lawn,  even brewing a cup of coffee can pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

That's where the concept of carbon offsetting comes in.

Simply put, you look for ways to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by the same amount you create.

At the end of the day, your net impact on Mother Earth should be zero.
   
At the Coffee Connection energy is used everywhere.  From the trucks that transport the coffee, to the machines that roast and brew it, it adds up fast.

4.3 pounds of carbon is produced for each pound of coffee consumers drink.

So instead, the Coffee Connection owners are trying to offset that carbon footprint by doing something good for the environment.

"One of the things we are doing is looking into the planting of trees," says Pat Mannix.  "The planting of trees offsets the carbon.  It absorbs the carbon and keeps it from going into the atmosphere."

But offsets alone won't fix the problem.  So many people are finding other ways to equalize the amount of pollution they create.

"We just try to use as little energy as we can," says Kristine Cox, who considers herself an "urban homesteader."  "S I guess that's how we offset our carbon footprint.  just by trying not to have one."

Cox and Ben Munson have change the way they live.  "It's kind of been interesting to me to dig into it a little bit and see how the things we're doing day to day kind of impact the bigger picture," Munson says.

Ben and Kristin have taken their mission to the web.  Their site is called theurbanhomesteaders.com .

"It's an ongoing documentary of what we're doing here in the house," says Cox. "Just all the big and little things we are doing and hopefully it will educate other people and get them doing it as well."

The couple started indoors by making their older home more energy efficient.  Then they moved outside where they are composting.  It's a great way to keep waste out of landfills.  They've also started using push mowers instead of gasoline powered models.

That one move can have a big impact.  Gas powered lawn equipment accounts for 5% of the nation's air pollution.

Cox and Munson hope all the little things they're doing will inspire others.