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MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: Organic Foods retailer Whole Foods is trying to breathe a bit of fresh air into the wind power industry. Starting this week, it’s selling $5 or $15 “wind power cards.” Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.

NANCY MARSHALL GENZER: Here’s the idea: You buy a card to offset the carbon-based electricity you use every month.

The money goes to the wind power industry. In turn, wind farms are supposed to increase their contributions to the power grid.

Whole Food’s Michael Besancon acknowledges customers might be skeptical of what is essentially a donation program.

MICHAEL BESANCON:“It is something that is a little airy fairy for folks. Again, that’s fine. If we can raise the awareness then we’re doing a good thing.”

Whole Foods is already buying wind power energy credits to offset its energy use. Will its customers share its sense of civic duty? The answer to that, of course, is blowin’ in the wind.

I’m Nancy Marshall Genzer for Marketplace.